What a denture rebase does
Your rebase replaces the entire pink, gum-colored base of your denture while keeping your existing denture teeth in their original position. You’ll typically be a candidate when the base material is cracked, has weakened from years of wear, or no longer fits accurately even after a reline.
Your rebase is significantly less expensive and faster to complete than a brand-new denture. You keep the teeth you’ve grown comfortable with. Your foundation underneath gets the refresh.
Common denture repairs
You’ll see the most common repair scenarios below. Your repair is usually faster and more affordable than a brand-new denture. You can expect most to be turned around in a day or two through our lab.
- Cracked base — bonded back together by our lab, often within 24 to 48 hours.
- Lost or broken tooth — the original (or a color-matched replacement) is cemented back into the base.
- Bent or fractured clasp — common on partial dentures; usually a quick lab repair.
- Worn-down chewing surfaces — addressable with a rebase plus new denture teeth in some cases.
- Lost connector parts on implant overdentures — replaceable in a short chairside visit.
When something doesn’t feel right between repairs
You’ll want to call us as soon as a denture cracks, a tooth chips off, a clasp bends, or the bite suddenly changes. You shouldn’t try to glue or sand the denture at home. Your quickest path back to comfortable wear is a chairside or short lab repair handled by people who work on dentures every day. You’ll save money in the long run by acting early.
First-day actions if your denture breaks
You should call us first thing if a denture cracks, a tooth chips off, or a clasp bends. You can keep wearing your denture for chewing soft foods only if there are no sharp edges; you should set it aside and use a backup if any edge looks rough.
What to do (and what NOT to do) when a denture breaks
- Do store all the pieces in a clean, sealed container and bring everything to your appointment.
- Do call us as soon as you can — many repairs can be expedited.
- Don’t try to glue the denture yourself. Household adhesives often warp acrylic permanently and can make the professional repair impossible.
- Don’t wear a cracked denture if the edges are sharp — it can cut your gums.
Who’s a good candidate for a rebase
You’re a candidate when the teeth on your denture are still in good shape and the bite still works, but the base has cracked, discolored, or fatigued. Patients across Fishersville, Staunton, and the wider Shenandoah Valley often come in expecting to need a brand-new denture and leave with a rebased one for a fraction of the cost — extending the life of an appliance you’re already comfortable with.
Backup plans during repair
You’ll have a conversation about a temporary solution if we can’t complete the repair in a single visit. You can usually manage a day or two with soft foods; your longer timelines may justify a temporary appliance. Your overall timeline depends on what broke and how it broke.
After your repair — what to expect at home
You can expect the rebased or repaired denture to feel noticeably tighter for the first day or two as you settle back into chewing on the corrected fit. You’ll want to stick with softer foods at first, take the denture out at night, and call us if a sore spot lingers more than a week so we can adjust the contact. You’ll typically be back to normal eating within a few days.
Related care: denture relines for a quicker refit, or daily denture care to help your denture last longer between repairs.