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About Cold Pour Dentures

Cold-pour acrylic, also called cold-cure acrylic, is used to make temporary dentures, duplicate dentures, inexpensive, basic or affordable dentures, and for denture repairs. During their creation, dentures go through a process of polymerization, which hardens the acrylic. The degree of hardness depends upon the process used. Cold curing does not adequately harden the acrylic. This poses a health hazard for dentures worn continuously over an extended period.

  1. Sorption

    • Sorption refers to the ability of your denture to absorb. Research reveals that cold-pour dentures absorb liquids. According to a 2010 study reported in "Medicina Oral," "saliva and nasal secretion absorbed by resin materials can make the appliance unhygienic." The researchers participating in this study determined heat-cured acrylics to be the hardest and most durable denture material. The teeth used to process a permanent, heat-cured dentures are separately manufactured from a stain and odor-resistant acrylic. The entire cold-pour denture is made from the same material. An ivory-colored pigment is used to dye the cold-pour acrylic to give the appearance of natural tooth coloring. The teeth on a cold-pour denture absorb stains from food and drinks, such as coffee and tea, and gradually darken. The pink color also lacks stability, which causes eventual fading.

    Solubility

    • The solubility of a denture refers to its ability to dissolve, a slow process, usually undetected by denture wearers. Auto-polymerizing resins (cold-cure/pour acrylics) have a greater toxic effect than heat-cured acrylics due to the dissolving of chemical components and bacteria-contaminated liquid previously absorbed by dentures. Heat-cured dentures have the highest hardness value, according to "Trends in Biomaterials & Artificial Organs."

    Health Risks

    • The method used to cure dentures is significant due to the possible release of chemical components from the acrylic, such as formaldehyde and methyl methacrylate. Allergic reactions are the most common effect of these chemicals, according to "Trends in Biomaterials & Artificial Organs." Methyl methacrylate has been associated with cancer and embryotoxic reactions, but these occurrences are rare. Of the four polymerization methods reviewed in this study, heat-curing has the lowest capacity for leaching chemical components.

    Durability

    • Wearing cold-pour dentures on a daily basis hastens the discoloration of the acrylic, according to LumineersDentalVeneers.com. A warranty offered by AspenDental.com covers basic and classic dentures made from cold-pour acrylic, for 6 months and 1 year, respectively. Warranties do not cover discoloration.

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