The Six Most Common Causes of Broken Dentures
Posted on: 10 September 2021
On average, dentures last up to ten years. However, if you are careless with your dentures, they can break in a number of different ways. Going without your dentures while your denturist repairs them will leave you without the ability to chew food, smile confidently and speak clearly.
To ensure that your dentures don't break prematurely, avoid the following common denture situations.
1. Dropping dentures while cleaning them
Many people clean their dentures over the sink. However, if you drop your dentures in the sink, they can break against the hard surface easily. And even if they don't break immediately, they might suffer slight damage, damage that will reduce the lifespan of your dentures. If you clean your dentures over a sink, be sure to pad the sink with a soft towel just in case you drop the appliance.
2. Cleaning your dentures incorrectly
Some patients use strong cleaning solutions like bleach or even toothpaste to clean their dentures. Harsh cleaners like those can wear your dentures down and reduce their lifespan considerably.
3. Continuing to wear dentures that don't fit properly
A normal part of being a denture wearer is relining your dentures whenever they no longer fit as comfortably as they used to. A relining will pad your dentures and ensures that they don't sit loosely in your mouth. This is important as loose dentures have a high risk of breaking.
4. Removing and inserting dentures incorrectly
If you remove or insert your dentures incorrectly all the time, you could break the supporting clasps or even dislodge a false tooth. Make sure you follow your denturist's directions when removing or inserting your dentures to avoid breaking them.
5. Continuing to use a denture with worn teeth
Denture teeth wear away over time just as real teeth do. And you need to look for signs that your denture teeth are becoming worn. This is because worn denture teeth can place more pressure on other areas of a denture and may eventually cause it to crack.
6. Using a denture that has had one too many repairs
A major reason to avoid breaking your dentures is that a denture that has been repaired too many times will likely break beyond repair at some point in the future. You then need to spend more money to replace it.
To ensure that your dentures don't break while you wear them, avoid the aforementioned situations. That way, you'll be able to get the best out of your dentures in terms of look and function.
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