When it comes to repairing dentures, there is a growing trend in the industry of at-home denture repair. Whether this is due to cost or convenience, individuals are trying to repair their dentures using denture repair kits. Fixing your dentures at home sounds simple enough and is far more convenient than emergency denture repairs performed by your denture clinic.
Unfortunately, sometimes dentures don’t fit your mouth properly – despite being fitted by a professional, as over time, your mouth may change in shape or structure, which can cause rubbing of the dentures on your gums, causing soreness, pain, and/or bleeding. It is in your best interests to ensure that your new dentures fit properly and immediately call your denture clinic if they are uncomfortable to wear.
Understanding Denture Repairs
Sometimes, as a denture-wearer, you may encounter several common problems that sound like they should be easy enough to repair on your own. For example, you may notice fractures, cracks, or loose teeth in your dentures.
These may seem like minor issues that can be repaired at home with one of your DIY denture repair kits. However, denture repairs require prerequisite knowledge of how the denture was produced and how it fits within the confines of your mouth, which requires specialised imaging to fit the denture initially to your mouth.
Denture clinics and dentists operating in dentures have years of knowledge and training in properly repairing broken dentures. Even small issues can have a great impact on your oral health and the efficacy of the dentures.
The Appeal of DIY Repairs
While it may seem like a good idea to buy a denture repair kit and watch a few YouTube videos or read up on how to repair your dentures at home, whether you’re trying to save money or convenience or both by repairing your dentures yourself, making mistakes when doing DIY denture repairs can have catastrophic consequences for your oral health.
Although relatively minor fixes can seem manageable with the tools provided by your denture repair kit, being millimetres off when replacing a chipped part of a denture or putting a denture tooth back into the mould can cause serious discomfort and pain or render the denture completely unfit for its function.
When it comes to denture repair, you are always better off taking your dentures to a denture clinic and having any repairs conducted by a professional.
The Risks of DIY Denture Repairs
There are myriad risks associated with conducting your denture repairs at home. These include:
- Further damaging the already broken denture using improper tools and/or a lack of reference imaging.
- Potential damage to your mouth’s oral tissues by improperly fitted dentures (thanks to an attempted DIY repair) can lead to bleeding or increased discomfort.
- Dentures that are not repaired properly can trap bacteria beneath in between the breaks, leading to an increased chance of infection.
- Attempting a DIY repair of your already-broken dentures may worsen the problem instead of better, costing you more money when you have to go to the denture clinic anyway.
- Any DIY repairs may also render any medical insurance that covers denture costs null and void. This means that any future repairs you may need to be done by a professional (thanks to the shoddy DIY job) will not be covered under insurance.
The Complexity of Denture Structure
Partial or complete dentures are very complicated structures specifically designed to fit within the confines of your mouth. They are made to measure precisely (in millimetres, typically) with fine adjustments made by computer programming before the dentures are created.
They are made using various chemical processes such as moulding the denture to your gum’s shape and measurements, including applications of wax and acrylics and finishing polish on the dentures once that process is completed. These mouldings are sometimes 3D-printed using specialised equipment capable of producing intricately-measured dentures.
Your DIY denture repair kit can’t make these finer adjustments. This means that any at-home work you do on your dentures will likely need to be erased and re-done by a professional, should your DIY denture repair fail in any way.
Impact on Oral Health
One main reason not to do denture repair is that it potentially damages oral health. Unlike denture repairs and other dental procedures conducted using sterilised tools and specialised equipment with careful safeguards in place and precision tools, you likely cannot guarantee that your DIY denture repair is completely sterile.
This can lead to the growth of bacteria inside your mouth! Additionally, you may further damage the structure of your dentures, even though the problem appears to have been fixed. This can cause further adverse reactions within your mouth, including increased rubbing on your gums and even bleeding and infection.
Professional Dental Care
If you’re having a problem with your dentures, it is always best to seek professional help from your local denture clinic specialising in emergency denture repair. Your DIY denture repair kit is no match for the knowledge, skill, and training of a denture clinic and the dentists who have dedicated their lives to making dentures comfortable and functional for their wearers.
Tips for Preventing Damage
You can do a few things to prevent damage to your dentures so that you don’t have to visit a denture clinic for repairs or consult an emergency dentist. These include:
- Rinse thoroughly after each meal.
- Ensure you place your dentures in their protective case when not in use (if travelling, for example).
- Keep dentures out of reach of pets and children.
- Do not clean your dentures with boiling water or abrasive cleaning materials such as wire brushes and scouring pads – your toothbrush will do just fine!
- Soak your dentures overnight in a cleaning solution and warm water.
When To Seek Professional Help
If you’re having any adverse reactions to your dentures, including discomfort, swelling or bleeding of your gums when wearing your dentures, it’s time to seek professional help. If you have a broken tooth or a fracture in the structure of the denture itself, it’s time to seek professional help.
Generally, when dealing with your oral health, it is always better to seek the opinions and help of professionals, including in denture repair. That’s where Aesthetic Dental & Denture Clinic come in. If you have any questions or concerns or to make a booking, contact our team today.
