Sedation Clinics
At the end of a long, hard day, you long to collapse straight into bed, but you dutifully do your nightly routine. You take out your dentures and haphazardly rinse them off. Unfortunately, you accidentally drop them, and crack! Your prosthetic teeth fracture after hitting the tile floor. Do you attempt DIY repairs? Do you put your dentures in as if nothing has happened? Or do you consider broken dentures a dental emergency?
The best course of action is to address your damaged replacement teeth as an important, urgent situation requiring professional attention because that’s exactly what it is! In this post, you’ll learn why emergency care is needed and what you should do if you find yourself with broken dentures.
Why Is a Broken Denture Considered a Dental Emergency?
Perhaps you don’t want to make a big deal out of broken dentures, or maybe you are concerned about the cost. However, a damaged denture is simply unusable. Putting in these prosthetics and trying to carry on could harm your soft tissues, especially your gums, and create more problems. Dentures that don’t fit properly slip out of place, making daily functions difficult and uncomfortable.
Alternatively, choosing to go without dentures limits your ability to eat nutritious foods, communicate clearly with others, and feel self-confidence. For these reasons, it becomes an urgent matter that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.
What Should I Do If I Break a Denture?
First of all, if this situation happens, you need to reach out to your dentist for an emergency appointment as soon as you can. Do not go to the emergency room or an urgent care clinic for assistance. These facilities lack the equipment and training to address this issue.
Before you go into your dentist’s office, do not wear your broken dentures or try to repair them on your own. Superglue and other adhesives are not formulated to be used on items going in your mouth, and the glue can make fixing the dentures harder for your dentist.
Under certain circumstances, usually minor damage, broken dentures may be repaired in your dentist’s office. However, most of the time, broken dentures likely need to be replaced with new ones.
Accidents happen, and dentures can become damaged, but if you take the right action afterward, you don’t have to endure the hardships of not having all your teeth for long. Through smart decisions, you can get your restored smile back.
About the Practice
At Dental Wellness of Lexington, our team does everything we can to see emergency patients on the same day as their phone call, including those who have broken dentures. Our dentists are highly trained, experienced, and compassionate, meaning you’ll receive the best possible care any time you need to visit us. If you have a dental emergency, contact our office online or call us at 859-223-4644.