The fracture topography of acrylic dentures broken in service.

The fracture surfaces of full dentures that failed in service, and others broken under controlled conditions, have been examined using scanning electron microscopy. The results allow the direction of crack propagation to be deduced and indicate that brittle impact is the predominant mode of fracture. Improvements in the strength of the denture tooth/denture base bond may be the most effective means of achieving an increase in the strength of full dentures.