How to Repair Partial Clasps

A partial denture, is a prosthetic dental appliance, designed to replace missing teeth. A person can have an upper, lower or both. The partial is made with a cast chrome framework that gently sits on the back-side of the teeth, with clasps that wrap around other teeth as abutments. Pink acrylic simulates gum-tissue, and false teeth replace missing ones. Even cast chrome can break, and occasionally, clasps snap off of the denture. It will take a dentist and a dental laboratory to repair the clasp.

Instructions

• 1

  Make an appointment with the dentist that made the partial denture. If he is not available, 1800dentist.com or the American Dental Association, ADA.org can assist with finding a local dentist.

• 2

  Arrive at the dental appointment. Bring the partial denture, and if you have it, the broken clasp.

• 3

  Allow the dentist, or his assistant to take impressions of the mouth, these will be done with the partial in place, even without the clasp. The partial denture should come out with the impression. Sometimes cast clasps can be re-soldered to the framework -- sometimes they cannot -- depending on the break. The dentist will need to keep the partial after the impressions and send it to the dental lab for repair.

• 4

  Schedule a return appointment to retrieve the repaired partial denture from the dentist. He will try it in your mouth and make any adjustments necessary to the fit.