Denture Fracture: What are the Causes and How Can You Protect Dentures from Breakage?

Full dentures provide a long-lasting solution to teeth loss, and they are suitable for people who wish to restore their beautiful smile. However, one of the most upsetting things that you may have to deal with as a denture wearer is breakage of your dental restorations. When this happens, you need to repair them to continue enjoying the conveniences and comfort of using dentures. Unfortunately, restoring broken dentures is not cheap, and it is essential to understand some of the causes of fracture and what you can do to prevent damage. Read on to find out.

Normal wear and tear

Dentures are not designed to last forever. After many years of wearing them, they start to show signs of wear and tear, and one of the visible indications is a fracture. Daily use is bound to take a toll on the dentures. Additionally, constant exposure to hot and cold foods also contributes to wear and tear.  If you have had the restorations for a decade or more, it is normal for them to show signs of wear. In this case, your dentist will recommend whether to repair or replace them depending on the extent of the damage.

Improper fit

There are a few reasons why your dentures may not be fitting properly in the mouth. One of these is due to incorrect sizing. If the specialist who designed the dentures didn't take accurate impressions of the mouth, the restorations might fail to fit correctly. Another reason your dentures may not fit is due to progressive bone loss. After losing a tooth, the bone that held it starts to shrink, and this causes the jaw to shrink as well. These changes cause the dentures to fit loosely in the mouth. Loose dentures lack stability, and this leads to stress, which can cause the restorations to fracture over time.

Visit your dentist if you notice that your dentures are not fitting correctly. The specialist will retake your mouth's impressions and repair the dentures to fit properly again.

Accidental fracture

Your dentures may break if they fall out when you are working out. The same will happen if someone accidentally knocks them off your nightstand. Unintentional breakage is very common, but you can avoid it by following some simple tips. Always place the dentures in a jar of water when going to bed at night. Also, make sure that the dentures are fitting correctly to protect them from falling off as you go about your daily activities. However, if they do fall and break, you can have them repaired by a specialist.

Denture fracture does not mean that you need to get new restorations. Visit your dentist so that they can assess the damage and carry out denture repair to restore the dentures' functionality.