How Long Will My Denture Repair Take?

If your dentures are causing pain or discomfort, you might be due for denture repair.

For dentures to work properly and remain comfortable in your mouth, it is important to make sure that your dentures are in tip-top shape. This may mean that it is time for some repairs, which brings up the question: How long will my denture repair take?

Before seeing your dentist for these repairs, take a look at some things you should know about your dentures.

What are dentures and how are they made?

Dentures are a removable appliance that replace missing teeth. The teeth are typically made of acrylic resin or porcelain. The gums often consist of a nylon polymer or acrylic resin.

To make dentures, dentists will take an impression of the gums, which is then used to make a mold. This mold then becomes a wax model that is tested in the mouth to confirm proper fit.

If the fit is good, the dentist uses resin, porcelain or nylon polymer to create the final product.

How can dentures be damaged?

Luckily, modern dentures have come a long way from the original dentures that were extremely fragile and prone to damage. Dentures these days are made of durable materials that typically last longer than expected. However, several things can damage dentures.

General wear and tear

Dentures will often become damaged just from simply wearing them over the years. The daily wear caused by eating, cleaning and temperature changes start to wear down the materials that make up dentures.

Dropping dentures

Much of the damage that dentists see to dentures is caused by dropping them. Most of the dropping occurs when removing the dentures for cleaning before bed.

Improper fit

Sometimes your dentures will simply stop fitting well. A change in the shape of your mouth is often the main cause of this discomfort. This is not necessarily damage but does require a denture repair to get it fitting perfectly again.

Types of denture repairs

Each repair is unique to a specific problem. These repairs can take anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks.

Denture reline

This is when the part of your denture that touches the soft tissues in your mouth is resurfaced to make it fit more securely. It might also provide more comfort. The dentist will grind down the material and mold new material onto the denture to either repair a crack or resurface the gum area.

Adjustment

This is a minor repair that adjusts the dentures to avoid discomfort from rubbing or pinching.

Denture rebase

This is when the replacement teeth are removed to remake the pink acrylic gums. The original teeth from the dentures will be added to a new base.

Do you need denture repair?

If your dentures are not fitting well or are uncomfortable, you made be due for denture repair.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment. Our staff can give you an approximate timeline to see how long this repair will take.

Request an appointment here: https://www.roderickgarciadmd.com or call Roderick A. Garcia, DMD PC at (505) 634-5029 for an appointment in our Albuquerque office.

Check out what others are saying about our denture care services on Yelp: Denture Relining.