Who to Go to for Denture Repair

Denture repair is a fact of life for anyone who wears dentures. Like all dental restorations and prosthodontics, dentures are subject to wear and tear. You may be tempted to perform DIY repairs when your dentures break or come loose.

However, the truth is that professional repair is your best bet if you want dentures that fit well. So, who can help when you need denture repair?

Reasons that denture repair might be necessary

Dental restorations and teeth replacements are subject to chewing and grinding forces in the mouth. This is the reason that dentists recommend periodic dental checks to monitor and maintain prosthodontics and restorations.

Regarding dentures, the following scenarios require the help of a professional:

• Loose fit
• A fracture or break
• Teeth that break or fall away from the artificial gums
• Damage to the framework that keeps the dentures in place

There is only so much that a person can do when their dentures break. Adhesive only works for a short while, and a layperson cannot fix the fit of a pair of dentures. But who can?

1. Denturists

Denturists specialize in the fabrication, adjustment, and repair of removable dentures. They have the training to take impressions of a patient’s gums and remaining teeth. Using the mold of a patient’s mouth, the denturist will fabricate a set of dentures that fit perfectly over the patient’s gums.

Where necessary, the denturist will make minor finishing touches to ensure an optimal fit and function. Patients who choose denturists do so for several reasons. For starters, denturists tend to be more affordable than dentists. Denturists also make and repair dentures in-office, which is convenient.

Dentists and prosthodontists may send molds of their patient’s teeth to a denturist for fabrication. This makes sense because denturists usually have dental labs at their practices.

2. Dentists

For a patient who needs dentures, the dentist may diagnose the patient and perform tooth extraction where necessary. They will then take impressions of the patient’s mouth and send the mold to a denturist or dental lab for fabrication.

Dentists can repair small breaks and fractures in-office. However, they will usually send dentures with more extensive damage to a dental lab or denturist. Only dental practices with milling machines or dental labs can repair bad breaks and fractures in-house.

3. Prosthodontists

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on the replacement of missing teeth. They may also prescribe, craft, and install prosthodontics that restore the form and/or function of the jaw.

Prosthodontists spend much of their time designing and fitting implants, dental crowns, and bridges. They also oversee the design and fabrication of dentures. Like dentists, prosthodontists may use a denturist or dental lab to create a set of dentures.

A prosthodontist can also perform small repairs themselves. But unless they have an in-house dental lab, the prosthodontist will send dentures with severe damage to a denturist or a dental lab.

4. Dental lab technicians

A dental lab is a facility that fabricates all kinds of dental restorations and prosthodontics. They rarely serve the public directly. Instead, they receive requests from dentists and prosthodontists. These requests come in the form of instructions accompanied by digital or physical models of a patient’s mouth. Dental labs have technicians who craft dentures and other restorations by hand and with the help of milling machines.

Get a long-term fix for dentures

Denture repair can be as simple as a trip to your dentist or denturist, which is why you should get in touch with us today. Our team will use their expertise and skill to restore your dentures to full function.

Request an appointment here: https://www.mysaratogadentist.com or call My Saratoga Dentist PLLC at (518) 675-3094 for an appointment in our Saratoga Springs office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Denture Adjustments and Repairs in Saratoga Springs, NY.