Dr. Hall,
I have removable partial dentures and a small piece of the gumline portion of my upper partial broke off. I realize one should not use super glue to repair dentures but this is not a tooth and is above the gum line. Does this require professional work or can I fix it myself?
Thanks,
– David from Washington
David,
It’s tempting to go ahead and repair it yourself, since the piece is so small. The important thing in a repair like this is to get the pieces exactly in the same position they were in before they broke. Even a fraction of a millimeter deviation will cause sore spots. So that’s what needs to be done.
But superglue – superglue will deteriorate after a few days in the mouth, so the repair won’t likely hold. And there’s no common household product I’m aware of that will really hold a repair like this.
And, another problem with superglue is that, once the pieces come apart again, you will make the professional repair more difficult and likely more expensive. Maybe even quite a bit more expensive. The leftover superglue on the pieces makes it so the dental technician can’t fit the pieces back into the exact position they were in, meaning that a new impression could be required, which adds quite a bit to the expense.
So I’d get a dental office to repair this, even though it seems expensive. And the sooner you do it, the easier it is and likely the cheaper it will be.
– Dr. Hall
Related information:
Denture repair
Complete dentures
Cosmetic dentures
| We thank our advertisers who help fund this site. |
|
|
About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Leave a Reply