Résumé
To analyze and determine the causes of complete denture fractures. Data were collected from patients who attended prosthodontic clinics for denture repairs at four military hospitals. For each patient requiring repair of a fractured complete denture, the variables were recorded: causes of denture fracture, the type of fracture and the history of pervious recurrent fractures. Of 552 repaired dentures 320 [58%] were complete dentures, 154 [28%] were removable partial dentures, which were excluded from the study, and 78 [14%] involved replacement of the teeth that had deboended from the denture bases. The ratio of upper to lower complete denture fractures was approximately 2|:1, most of the fractured dentures [63%] were those of males. Poor fit appeared to be the main cause of denture fracture 116 [36%], and poor occlusion was the second most common cause recorded 54 [17%]. Midline fracture was the most common type of fracture during the period of study 195 [61%]. Most of the fractured denturess 185 [58%] had previously been repaired once or more. The total number of complete denture fractures was considerably enhanced by repetitive fractures, which can be reduced by the application of prosthetic principles in constructing and maintaining dentures particularly during the laboratory stages. Improvements in the processing techniques and the type of resin can reduce the incidence of denture fracture. Various polymers have been developed for use as denture base resins to overcome some of the mechanical deficiencies of polymethylmethacrylate