Fracturing and chipping of denture is common problem which need repair . Possible causes for fracture of denture is fall of the prosthesis on a hard surface , careless retrieval after processing of the prosthesis , manufacturing defect of the denture.

1. DENTURE REPAIR
Dr. Ibadat Jamil
Assistant professor
Dep. Of Prothodontics

2. Nothing in dentistry is less romantic than
DENTURE REPAIRS , including reading and
writing about them.
Most of the dentists during their clinical practice
face with the prospect of denture repairs.
Most common denture fractures are those along
the mandibular and maxillary midline.

3. REPAIR OF MAXILLARY DENTURE
PIECES OF FRACTURED
MAXILLARY DENTURE
ASSEMBLES PIECES PIECES HELD TOGETHER WITH
STICKY WAX AND WOODEN
STICKS
POUR A CAST OF MODEL
PLASTER AFTERE BLOCKING
UNDERCUTS INSIDE THE
DENTURE
REMOVE DENTURE FROM
CAST , FREE OF STICKY WAX
AND WOODEN STICKS
•Preparation of repair
begins by removing 2-
3 mm of acrylic from
midline fracture of
denture making a long
rounded bevel on each
side of the opening
about 5 mm wide along
the entire midline and
onto the labial surface

4. Paint the cast with
separating medium
Place the two pieces of
denture on the cast
Apply acrylic monomer
and polymer in
increments
Place it in pressure pot at 30 pounds per square inch pressure for 30 minutes ( to
increase the density of cold cure)
* Pressure pot should contain sufficient water at a temperature of 100°F to
completely cover the repair.
Remove the denture from pressure pot , trim and polish it

5. REPAIR OF MANDIBULAR DENTURE

6. CAST STRENGTHENER FOR MANDIBULAR DENTURES
Used in cases where patients tend to drop their mandibular denture , breaking it into 2 or
more pieces .
For such cases COBALT –CHROMIUM CAST STRENGTHENER is employed.
Cast strengthener
with 4 stops
Strengthener in place before wax up
Stone cast
Tissue side of denture showing
embedded strengthener with stops
Waxed up denture ready for processing .
After boiling out , strengthener is cleaned and
placed back on cast and packing is done

7. METAL DENTURE BASES FOR MAXILLARY DENTURE
•In cases where edentulous maxilla opposes natural mandibular teeth
•Made up of cobalt-chromium, gold, aluminum, or stainless steel.
•Advantage of using base metal:
light weight
Less expensive( compared to gold)

8. CHANGING THE POSTERIOR
TEETH ON COMPLETE DENTURES
DENTURES MOUNTED
ON AN ARTICULATOR
ACRYLIC TEETH
REMOVED USING
ARBOR BAND
TEETH AND ACRYLIC
BASE REMOVED PRIOR
TO SETTING UP TEETH
MANDIBULAR TEETH
SET IN WAX
MAKE A STONE INDEX OF POSTERIOR
TEETH COVERING BUCCAL AND
OCCLUSAL SURFACES OF TEETH
LINGUAL
OCCLUSAL VIEW
REMOVE INDEX FROM
TEETH

9. remove teeth and clean off wax with boiling water and place teeth in stone matrix
and tack in place with sticky wax
COAT THE STONE WITH SEPARATING MEDIUM
REMOVE THE WAX FROM THE DENTURE BASE
ROUGHEN THE SURFACE BEFORE REPLACING THE STONE INDEX WITH TEETH
ADD ACRYLIC IN SMALL INCREMENTS TO ATTACH THE TEETH TO DENTURE
BASE
ONCE ACRYLIC SETS , REMOVE THE MATRIX
IF DONE CAREFULLY , THIS PROCEDURE REQUIRES VERY LITTLE FINISHING AND
POLISHING

11. REPAIRING FRACTURED TEETH
Fractured central incisors
Teeth removed
New teeth waxed to
place and index made
Teeth held in
position by
index
Repair completed

12. LIGHT CURE RESIN REPAIRS
•PIECES OF BROKEN DENTURE ARE
ASSEMBLES AND STABILIZED
•CAST IS MADE AND IS COATED WITH
SEPARATING MEDIUM
•BORDERS OF FRACTURED SECTIONS ARE
PREPARED
•EDGES ARE COATED WITH MONOMER AND
LIGHT CURE RESIN IS ADAPTED TO THE
FRACTURED AREA
CURING IS DONE FOR 5-10 MINUTES

13. ADVANTAGE OF LIGHT CURE RESIN OVER
CONVENTIONAL ACRYLIC
CONVINIENT
NEAT TO WORK WITH
DENTIST/TECHNISIAN EXPOSED TO LESS FREE
MONOMER
TIME TO COMPLETE REPAIR IS REDUCED

14. REVIEW OF
LITERATURE

15. In an article on ‘Repair of denture base resins using visible
light-cured materials.” by Andreopoulos AG1, Polyzois
GL.,Specimens of denture base resins were repaired with
autopolymerizing and visible light-cured (VLC) repair materials.
Flexural properties were measured and revealed that the highest
strength and toughness of joint are obtained by the
autopolymerizing repair material and are independent on the
base resin. The VLC materials exhibited a lower repair strength
(22% to 58%) and toughness (9% to 33%) than those of the
autopolymerizing resin. No interaction between base and repair
material was detected, which was attributed to poor adhesive
bonding created at the interface.
J Prosthet Dent. 1994 Nov;72(5):462-8.

16. A CLINICAL STUDY OF COMPLETE DENTURE
FRACTURES AT FOUR MILITARY HOSPITALS IN
JORDAN was carried out by F. Khasawneh and Jamal M.
Arab in december 2003 which concluded that the potential
cause of fracture in 320 repaired dentures had shown that, poor
fit was the main cause of fracture, in upper dentures, whereas
dropping was the main cause of fracture in lower dentures.
Upper dentures were repaired more than lower denture (ratio
2:1). Midline fracture was the commonest type of fracture and
more than half of repaired dentures (58%) had previously been
repaired.

17. Effect of repair surface design, repair material, and processing method on
the transverse strength of repaired acrylic denture resin.
Ward JE1, Moon PC, Levine RA, Behrendt CL.
Abstract
The transverse strengths of blocks of denture base acrylic resin repaired with
autopolymerizing monomer and polymer and autopolymerizing monomer and
heat-cured polymer were measured with a three-point bending test. Three repair
joints were studied: butt, round, and 45-degree bevel. Three processing methods
were used: bench cure, hydroflask with hot water for 10 minutes, and
hydroflask with hot water for 30 minutes. The strengths of repairs made with
round and 45-degree bevel joint designs were similar and significantly
greater than those with a butt joint design. The strengths of repairs
processed in a hydroflask for 10 minutes and 30 minutes were similar and
significantly greater than those cured on the bench top. There was no
difference in the strength of repairs made with autopolymerizing monomer
and polymer and autopolymerizing monomer and heat-cured polymer.
J Prosthet Dent. 1992 Jun;67(6):815-20.

18. An evaluation of self-cured and visible light-cured denture base materials when
used as a denture base repair material.
Dar-Odeh NS1, Harrison A, Abu-Hammad O.
Author information
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare some of the physical properties of a heat-
cured, a self-cured and a visible light-cured acrylic resin, and to evaluate the
suitability of visible light-cured resin as a repair material for dentures made of heat-
cured acrylic resin. Transverse strength, surface hardness and impact strength were
determined for the three materials and the efficiencies of light-cured and self-cured
resins, when used as a repair material, were evaluated by testing the transverse
strength of repaired heat-cured specimens 1 hour, 1 week and 1 month after repair.
The results showed that the rigidity of specimens repaired with light-cured resin
improved with longer water storage. However, their transverse strength
reached a maximum after one day and was reduced after 1 month. The rigidity
and transverse strength of specimens repaired with self-cured resin were not
influenced significantly by water storage and the transverse strength was
significantly higher than the light-cured repaired specimens.
J Oral Rehabil. 1997 Oct;24(10):755-60.

19. Repair strength of denture base resins using various methods.
Polyzois GL1, Handley RW, Stafford GD.
Author information
Abstract
The object of this study was to measure the repair strength of denture base
resins repaired using, (a) standard heat activated polymerising resin, (b) a
denture base resin especially formulated for microwave-activated
polymerisation, and (c) an autopolymerising resin. Comparisons were made
between conventional water bath and microwave curing and
autopolymerised resin repairs, using transverse bend and impact tests.
Repairs with the two heat-activated denture base resins were carried out
using conventional dental flasking procedures, whereas autopolymerised
resin repairs were carried out in open gypsum moulds. The results indicate
that the transverse strength, and impact resistance of the resin specimens
repaired with microwave irradiation were generally superior to
specimens repaired by using a water bath curing cycle or the use of an
autopolymerising resin.
Eur J Prosthodont Restor Dent. 1995 Jun;3(4):183-6.