ot, gluing dentures

[surplusjohn]

I know someone who broke her upper denture and cant afford to replace it. I have discussed trying to glue it back together for her. I have not seen it but i have the impression that they are acrylic, if so a solvent cement may work. does anyone know for sure? thanks.

 

[plastikdreams]

Talk to implmex...he's an ex dentist and very knowledgeable.

 

[surplusjohn]

I have since found out that she used super glue which worked but it then broke in two other places. not sure what's going on!

 

[boslab]

I had a tooth on a post that fell out, I admit to the redneck fix all, superglue, it worked, for a while at least.
I later bought some 2 part dental stuff off the inter web, better job.
Mark

 

[L Vanice]

I think it was around 30 or 40 years ago that I found something at a drugstore that claimed to repair plastic dentures. I think it was powdered acrylic and a solvent cement. I think it worked long enough to get my dentist to have a new one made.

Larry

 

[GregSY]

Dentures...back in high school had a friend who never took care of his teeth. Even back then, he had black spots on them, etc.

So fast forward 30 years and I run into him...he tells me his mother (!) agreed to pay for him to have all of his remaining teeth pulled out and a full set of dentures made for him. He tells me, "yeah, it kinda sucks...but I am 47 years old after all!" That was my WTF?? of the day....

 

[implmex]

Hi surplusjohn:

Yeah dentures were traditionally made from heat and pressure cured poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) (acrylic)

However, in the last 10 years or so, increasingly dental labs are one-time injection molding them out of acetal copolymer.
The material is called "Zirlux" ...it's tough as shit but you can't glue it.

Its rarely used for full dentures but is increasingly common for partial dentures.

If the friend's denture broke, it's almost certainly PMMA.
Solvent adhesive might make a strong enough repair, but mostly these are fixed by sticking the halves together temporarily, then making a plaster index, then grinding a big vee at the break, then reassembling the halves on the index, then wetting the ground edges with methacrylate monomer, then wadding in acrylic putty, then heat and pressure curing the denture, lastly polishing the repair and re-fitting the denture in the patient's mouth by re-lining it and refitting the occlusion.


That's all a lot of screwing around, so many dentists and denturists will just make a new one.

Cheers

Marcus
www.implant-mechanix.com
www.vancouverwireedm.com

 

[implmex]

Hi againsurplusjohn:
I just re-read your other post where you wrote:
"I have since found out that she used super glue which worked but it then broke in two other places. not sure what's going on!"

Almost certainly, she did not get the halves back together perfectly, and now the denture is rocking on the soft tissue that's supposed to support and stabilize it.
Also PMMA deteriorates over time, and one of the things it does is get more brittle.
So it's less tolerant to rocking in the mouth, and if it's an upper denture going against lower natural teeth, you can easily put enough pressure on it to bust it...a bit like breaking a stick over your knee.

Unlike your lower jaw, the upper is a big surface area covered with tough gum tissue on the entire roof of your mouth so you can really reef on an upper denture and not cause pain...plenty of force to snap it in pieces if it doesn't fit perfectly.
That's what the reline is for.

Cheers

Marcus
www.implant-mechanix.com
www.vancouverwireedm.com

 

[surplusjohn]

thank you Marcus. I belive this is a full denture. she has been without the upper for several months so I dont know what the whole story is. I was trying to help her out but it doesnt sound like I will be able too. she just needs to figure out how to pay for a new one.

 

[plastikdreams]

I knew Marcus would have the pertinent info

 

[Bill D]

What ever you use make sure it does not have any smell or after taste once it is cured.
Bill D