Denture Repair Instructions
Luther Ison
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Denture Fractures:
1- Relate dentures back together and lute with sticky wax or compound on the polished side of denture.
2- Blockout undercuts on tissue side that are away from the fracture area
3- Pour plaster cast inside denture (tissue side). Fracture area must be filled with plaster. Do not Vaseline denture
prior to pouring.
4- When plaster is set, remove denture from cast. Use Brasseler bur to open up fracture area on each piece, with
polished side of denture opening up at least 5 mm and tissue side of denture open 1-2 mm. Roughen and create as
much surface area for new acrylic to bond to old acrylic as practical. The more surface area to bond to, the
stronger the repair will be. If denture has repeatedly fractured, a half round strengthener bar can be embedded in
acrylic to strengthen. Bar must have rigidity, so round wire will do no good. Wire mesh can also be used.
5- Coe Sep the cast where acrylic will be added. Lightly Vaseline tissue side of denture adjacent to fracture area,
being careful not to get Vaseline onto surfaces where acrylic will be added. Place denture halves back on the
repair cast and add new acrylic. Rubber band denture onto cast.
6- While acrylic is still wet with monomer, place directly into warm water pressure pot and raise pressure to 20-26
lbs. Acrylic will take 5-20 minutes to cure depending on water temperature.
7- Remove from pressure pot. Remove denture from cast, finish, pumice and polish. Check tissue side for defects
and remove as necessary. Check tissue wide with PIP paste upon insertion and adjust if necessary. Check
occlusion and adjust if necessary.
Tooth Replacement:
1-Remove acrylic as necessary to position tooth, set tooth with baseplate wax and festoon around new tooth.
2-Make plaster matrix covering buccal and occlusal portion of new tooth and adjacent teeth.
3-Remove plaster matrix, steam and remove all wax, replace tooth back into matrix.
4-Lightly vaseline adjacent teeth in denture to keep repair excess repair acrylic from sticking to them.
5-Mix acrylic in dappen dish and when doughy, add to denture where new tooth will go.
6-Wet tooth with monomer and place tooth and matrix back onto denture.
7-Wrap with rubber band and insert into pressure pot. When cured, finish and polish.
Check occlusion upon insertion.
** If replacing anterior tooth, and occlusion is not a factor, you can sticky wax tooth to the
adjacent teeth and into position along incisal edge rather than waxing in place and making
plaster matrix.