Oral Health Link to Whole Body Health: A Blog

Denture Distress: Can a Hairline Crack Be Repaired?

18 November 2022

Duane Kelly

You might feel a crack in your dentures before you see it. A hairline crack in an upper or lower denture won't always be obvious, and your first clue might be when you feel the uneven surface rubbing against the soft tissues in your mouth. Can a small hairline crack be repaired, or is it likely that you'll need a new set of dentures? 

Repair Clinic

The first step is to have your dentures professionally assessed. You can either take it to your own dentist or a denture repair clinic. The latter option is generally faster. Many dentists send their denture repairs offsite to a dental prosthetic lab, whereas a repair clinic can perform most repairs onsite while you wait. The good thing about a hairline crack is that it's probably repairable, instead of requiring a new pair of dentures.

Impact Damage

One of the first questions you'll be asked is about how the crack occurred. Was the denture dropped or did it receive another type of knock against a hard surface? Such an impact easily explains the hairline crack and repairs can proceed. If the cause is a mystery, it becomes possible that your dentures will need attention in the future.

Irregular Pressure

An uneven bite or another undiagnosed dental problem could be placing irregular pressure on your denture plate, causing the current hairline crack. Denture repair is still possible, but if another crack should develop, denture replacement may become inevitable. You could conceivably have to upgrade your dentures to a set featuring a cast alloy plate, which is much stronger. But in the meantime, your existing dentures must be repaired.

Patching the Crack

Repairing a hairline crack in a denture plate is a fairly small task. In most cases, the crack is patched using a thin layer of acrylic resin, which is the same material the plate is made from. This quickly dries, and your dentures are ready for use. If you know for sure that the hairline crack was caused by an impact, the prosthetic teeth in the denture base will be inspected for cracks or other damage, and repaired as needed.

Act Quickly

As simple as the repairs are likely to be, they become more complicated the longer you wait, to the point where they become impossible. Considering the bite forces your dentures are continually exposed to, the pressure on a hairline crack will cause the crack to deepen. Eventually, the denture plate can split in two, and repairs are impossible—with a replacement then being the only option.

A hairline crack in a denture plate is a common complaint and rarely has a serious cause. And provided you act quickly, repairs are simple and speedy.

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