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Cracked Denture Repair — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyProsthodonticsCracked Denture RepairORE Part 1

A patient presents with an acrylic complete upper denture with a crack through the palatal base. The denture remains in one piece and fits satisfactorily. What is the most appropriate management?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: DArrange repair with acrylic resin after assessing the cause of fracture

Explanation lettering: C = shown as A · E = shown as B · D = shown as C · A = shown as D · B = shown as E

A is correct. A cracked but intact acrylic denture should be professionally assessed and repaired; self-cured acrylic resin is an established denture repair material. The clinician should also identify predisposing factors, such as poor fit, occlusal imbalance or an inadequate base, because repair without correcting the cause risks recurrence. NHS advice is to bring damaged or broken dentures to a dentist to determine whether repair is possible. Household adhesive is unsuitable and may compromise accurate repair. Waiting for complete separation permits further damage and leaves the patient without a usable appliance. Immediate replacement is unnecessary when a repair is feasible. Composite applied only to the polished surface does not provide a proper structural acrylic repair. Reinforcement may be considered for repeated fractures, but it is not required routinely for this initial crack.

Reference: Dar-Odeh N, Harrison A, Abu-Hammad O. An evaluation of self-cured and visible light-cured denture base materials when used as a denture base repair material. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 1997. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/dentures/