Dentures are made from very hardwearing materials. They can, however, still be damaged if you don't look after them correctly. Read on to find out more about the most common causes of broken dentures.

Eating the wrong foods

There are certain types of foods which denture wearers should try to avoid eating, as these items could potentially break their dentures.

Sticky foods, such as toffees, for example, can not only dislodge the entire denture and cause it to come loose in a person's mouth but may also distort its metal frame. This distortion cannot be fixed at home and would need to be addressed by a dental professional who specialises in denture repairs.

Foods with crunchy or hard textures, like raw carrots, almonds and popcorn, can be equally problematic; biting down on these foods whilst wearing dentures could easily crack one of the artificial teeth.

If this happens, you can use a denture repairs kit to temporarily glue the cracked false tooth back together; however, you will still need to have it properly repaired by your orthodontist eventually, as the adhesives in these kits are quite weak and will not keep the tooth secure for very long.

Failing to soak them regularly

Dentures need to be soaked in a glass filled with cleaning fluid for several hours each night. In addition to eliminating any harmful bacteria that may be present on the dentures' surface pores, the moistness of the cleaning fluid also helps to retain the dentures shape.

As such, if you fail to soak your dentures regularly, both their size and their shape may change. They will not only become smaller but may also become distorted; the former could lead to them falling out of your mouth when you eat or speak, whilst the latter could cause them to rub against and irritate your gums.

If the shape of your dentures has changed quite drastically, you may not be able to have them repaired and might instead have to pay for an entirely new set.

Leaving them lying around

If you have a tendency to leave your dentures lying on your bathroom counter, or on a tissue on your bedside table whilst you get ready for bed, there's a good chance that your dentures may end up getting damaged.

If they get knocked into the bathroom sink by you or one of your family members, they could sustain damage as a result of the impact. If they fall onto the floor, someone could accidentally stand on them.

As such, at the end of the day when it's time to take them out, it's best to put them straight into the glass of cleaning fluid and put this glass somewhere safe until the morning.

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