I had the most embarrassing moment last night. A tooth fell out of my dentures. My wife and I were out with friends at their anniversary dinner. There were 8 of us in the group. The tooth that fell out has never given me a problem. I check my dentures regularly and the tooth never felt loose. I was eating my dinner and I felt a tooth dislodge. I was afraid that I might swallow it so I had to discreetly deposit the food in my mouth into a napkin. I excused myself and went into the lobby with the napkin to find the tooth in my half chewed food. It was an incisor! I put it in my shirt pocket. I had to return back to our table, but from then on I didn’t smile or laugh hoping no one would notice that I had lost the tooth. Of course my wife starting whispering to me about what was going on. What do I do now? Will I have to get new dentures? – Dennis
Dennis – Some dentists can repair dentures themselves. Call your dentist’s office and ask how denture repairs are handled. If your dentist is unable to secure the tooth back into your dentures, you may find a dentist or prosthodontist who can make the repair on site. It’s possible that your dentures will need to be sent to a lab for repair. Depending on your location, it may be a few days before the repaired dentures are returned.
Teeth can fall out of new dentures if the acrylic doesn’t bond correctly to the teeth of the dentures. If your dentures are old, the acrylic can deteriorate and weaken, and the denture teeth can loosen. Dentures last an average of five to seven years. If your dentures are within that span, or older, it may be time to have them replaced.
This post is sponsored by Naperville implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca. Dr. LaVacca is a board-certified prosthodontist, specifically trained in the replacement and restoration of teeth.
