Laboratory repair
Clean fractures and detached teeth are sent to the laboratory, reassembled and re-processed in fresh acrylic. Turnaround is normally one to two working days, occasionally quicker by arrangement.
About this treatmentDental condition · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Broken denture: repair, replace, and why it broke in the first place
A denture that cracks, snaps or loses a tooth is disruptive out of all proportion to its size: eating, speaking and simply leaving the house become awkward within hours. The temptation is to reach for glue, but household adhesives ruin the acrylic and often make a laboratory repair impossible. The more useful question is why it broke. Dentures rarely fail at random; a base that has stopped fitting the gum beneath it flexes and fatigues until it gives way. At Wimpole Street we can arrange a laboratory repair where the pieces allow, but we also check the fit, the bite and the age of the appliance so the same thing does not happen again next month.
Recognising it
How it usually feels
A visible crack running through the pink acrylic
Often starts at the midline of an upper denture where the base flexes most.
The denture in two pieces
A clean break with pieces that fit together is the most repairable pattern.
A single tooth missing from the plate
Usually a bond failure between tooth and base; the tooth can often be replaced.
A snapped metal clasp on a partial denture
Clasps can sometimes be re-made and soldered, depending on the design.
New rocking, rubbing or sore spots
A hint that the fit had already deteriorated before the break.
Repeated small fractures over months
Suggests the material is fatigued and replacement is more sensible than another patch.
Behind the symptoms
What's going on
- 01
Dropping it
Most dentures break over a basin or on a tiled floor during cleaning. A fall of even a few inches onto a hard surface can crack acrylic or knock a tooth loose, particularly on older, thinner plates.
- 02
Poor fit and flexing
After extractions the jawbone continues to shrink slowly for years. A denture made to the shape of the gum five years ago no longer sits flush, so it rocks on high points and bends with every chew. Acrylic tolerates a little bending many thousands of times before it finally fractures.
- 03
Material fatigue and age
Denture acrylic absorbs water, becomes more brittle and develops micro-cracks with years of use, temperature swings and cleaning. Most full dentures are considered for replacement after roughly five to eight years for this reason.
- 04
Heavy bite or grinding
Strong chewing forces, especially against natural teeth in the opposite jaw, concentrate stress on a small area of the plate. People who clench or grind at night put a denture under load for hours.
- 05
Previous home repairs or thin sections
Glue, filed edges and DIY relines weaken the structure and can trap bacteria. A denture that has already been repaired once or twice has stress points that make further fracture likely.
- 06
Warping from heat
Hot water, dishwashers and being left to dry out all distort acrylic. A warped denture cannot be repaired back to shape and fits badly, so it is more likely to crack under uneven load.
Before your appointment
What you can do today
- Keep every fragment, including a detached tooth, in a small container of cold water and bring them all with you; the laboratory needs the pieces to relocate accurately.
- Do not use superglue, epoxy or repair kits from the chemist; they contaminate the acrylic and can make a proper repair impossible.
- If the denture is cracked but whole and not sharp, wearing it carefully for eating is usually acceptable for a day or two.
- Remove any piece that has a sharp or jagged edge, and rinse with warm salt water if the gum has been cut.
- In future, clean the denture over a folded towel or a basin of water so a slip does not become a fracture.
These are holding measures, not a substitute for an examination. Use any pain relief exactly as directed on the pack and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
In the chair
How we treat it at Wimpole Street
Repair with reinforcement
Where a plate has broken before, a metal mesh or fibre can be embedded during repair to stiffen the base and reduce the chance of the same line failing again.
About this treatmentReline to restore the fit
If the base no longer matches the gum, a new lining is added so the denture sits evenly and stops flexing. This is often done alongside the repair.
About this treatmentNew partial or full denture
When acrylic is fatigued, teeth are worn or the fit is beyond relining, a new denture is made over three to five visits, with the repaired one serving in the meantime.
About this treatmentImplant-retained options
For dentures that keep breaking because they move, two or more implants can anchor the plate, transforming stability and reducing the bending that causes fractures.
About this treatmentFees
Costs to expect
An assessment of a broken denture at Wimpole Street is expected to be £95. Simple laboratory repairs, such as a clean fracture or a single replaced tooth, are quoted individually and typically sit well below the cost of a new appliance; relines are also quoted after we see the fit.
Where replacement is the sensible route, a new partial acrylic denture is indicative from £795 and a full denture from £1,095, with cobalt-chrome and flexible designs priced above that. Implant-retained dentures are planned and costed separately. Written fees are provided before any laboratory work is commissioned.
Figures are indicative prices for Wimpole Street and are confirmed in a written plan once a dentist has examined you. Fees match our South Kensington and St Paul's clinics.
Don't wait if
When to see a dentist
- The denture has broken, however small the crack or missing piece.
- A broken edge is cutting or ulcerating the gum, tongue or cheek.
- The plate has been repaired before and has failed along the same line.
- The denture was already rocking, dropping or causing sore spots before it broke.
- It is more than five years old or the teeth look flattened and worn.
- You have lost or broken a clasp on a partial denture.
FAQ
Common questions
Usually, provided both pieces are present and fit back together cleanly. The laboratory locates them with a plaster key, grinds out the fracture line and re-processes it with new acrylic, often adding reinforcement. If the pieces are warped or missing fragments, a new denture is more reliable.
A repair is built on the whole appliance. The technician needs the intact section to align the fracture, take an accurate mould and match the shade and shape of any replacement tooth. Sending just a fragment gives them nothing to work from.
A well-executed repair with fresh acrylic is close to original strength, and reinforcement can improve on it. However, if the underlying reason was poor fit or fatigued material, the denture will fail again elsewhere unless that is addressed with a reline or replacement.
Most repairs are turned round within one to two working days. Where we can, we send the denture to the laboratory straight after the assessment visit. If you have a spare or older denture, bring it in case it can be adjusted for temporary use.
If the denture fits well, the teeth are not badly worn and this is a first fracture, repair is sensible. If it is old, has broken before or moves when you eat, repairing buys time but replacement is likely within the year. We will give you an honest view once we have examined both the denture and your mouth.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Leave your details and we will be in touch when the Marylebone diary opens. If the problem cannot wait, the same clinicians are already seeing patients in South Kensington and at St Paul's.
Related conditions
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
