As a young mother, I was reasonably ignorant when raising my firstborn. My biggest regret is that I didn't help her take better care of her teeth. Like many people, I didn't realise the importance of baby teeth, resulting in long-term dental problems. Recently, my daughter got married and some of my tears were for the beautiful, glistening smile she presented to the cameras. Ever since I realised the dental damage I had caused, I had been saving for my daughter to have cosmetic dentistry. The results are remarkable. During the course of this journey, I have learnt a lot about caring for children's teeth and corrective procedures that can be undertaken when issues arise. I am sure many of you would be interested in the latest knowledge and techniques that are available to prevent and repair dental complications. I'm Margret Devlin - thanks for visiting.
If you've dropped your dental plate and it has broken or cracked, you may be tempted to try to fix it yourself rather than ask your dentist for help. Although it is technically possible to glue a broken plate back together again, you may want to think about the downsides of fixing the plate yourself before you get your glue out.
Glue May Not Be Good For Your Dental Plate
Even seemingly harmless over-the-counter glues may contain powerful chemicals that can react against the surfaces they are supposed to be joining together. For example, when you apply glue to the broken edges of your plate, it may melt the edges away as it bonds. While you may fix your plate, you may also change its shape in the process.
You may also find it tricky to glue the pieces of your plate together precisely – this isn't as easy as you may think. If you don't get this exactly right and the plate loses its original shape, it won't fit in your mouth the way it used to. A distorted shape, and any glue residue you leave on the plate, may make the plate rub on your mouth because it doesn't fit correctly. This may ultimately even cause sores and tender areas, making the plate more uncomfortable to wear than it should be. Plus, you may find that your confidence takes a knock if your plate doesn't fit snugly any longer and you worry about it coming loose or wobbling about when you smile.
Glue May Not Be Good For Your Wallet
If your DIY glue fix doesn't work, and you ultimately go back to your dentist for help, the repair may be more difficult, or even impossible. The repair technician may have to work with two edge pieces of a plate jigsaw that no longer fit together correctly. This doesn't just affect the fit of your plate in the future but may also affect your costs. If the plate is beyond feasible repair, you may end up having to pay for a new plate rather than a simple fix.
Glue Isn't Good For You
According to Colgate, you shouldn't try to repair broken dentures or plates by gluing them together, because the glue you use may contain harmful chemicals. Bear in mind that you'll ultimately put the glue in your mouth when you put the plate back in; even if you wait until the glue has completely dried, your saliva may break it down again.
Share27 January 2016
