I have dentures and dropped one while cleaning it. One tooth broke off but looks to be completely intact. Would Superglue solve this or will I need an entirely new denture? I want to take care of this ASAP because it’s a front tooth. I’m only 42. I don’t want to look like I belong in a hillbilly movie.
Catherine
Dear Catherine,
I don’t blame you for not wanting to go around with a missing front tooth. No one wants anything to take away from their appearance. Superglue will not be your solutions, though. Dentures have to fit a certain way, including the teeth, or it can lead to soreness.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need an entire new arch. It’s very likely your dentist can replace the tooth. If he can’t, it’s even more possible the lab can.
Age Considerations with Dentures
You are in your early 40s. That’s very young to be in a full set of dentures. I’m hoping your dentist warned you about the dangers of facial collapse with dentures. This way your decision to get those over another procedure was truly informed.
When your teeth were removed, your body began using the minerals from your jawbone elsewhere, in an area of your body it perceived they’d be more useful. While efficient, the unfortunate result is your jawbone will start to shrink.
In about 10-20 years, you won’t have enough jawbone left for your dentures. This is known as facial collapse and is illustrated in the picture above.
An Alternative to dentures
One procedure which completely prevents facial collapse is dental implants. These use prosthetic tooth roots and places them in your jaw. Then a pair of dentures or porcelain crowns is secured to the implants. When you’re talking about a full set of dentures, it’s more affordable to get implant overdentures (pictured directly above). This uses between four to six implants, instead of an implant for every tooth like you’d need if you chose crowns.
Talk to your dentist about this. It will save you a great deal of grief in the future.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.