Odd Question about old dentures.?

I know this might sound nasty but I was wondering if there are any charity organizations out there that re-use dentures. My mom has a set of partials, which cost her $1000.00 and will soon have a full intermediate set.


That is a lot of money to just toss out when so many people have trouble affording dentures.





If there is nothing available, is it because each human mouth is so unique, is it the gross factor (someone else has used them), or has no one thought of a way to recycle them.





I suppose you could ask the same question about certain braces as well.


Thanks.

Odd Question about old dentures.?
It is true, that a large percentage of the cost was the time and workmanship that went into making the partial. BUT if the partial has a metal base (Which most nicer ones do) you can sell them to refining companies. Metal prices are great right now, so you will get some money back, but probably less then 20% of the inital investment. I listed a website I work with below, you can fill out a form and they will send you a mailer at no cost where you can ship your mothers partial to them and they will in return mail your mother a check.
Reply:Of course re-using dentures is impossible ... every human being has its own specific mouth and you cant find two persons that every little details in their mouth is similar! and certainly it is not healthy and hygienic and scientific to re-use an old denture ... IT IS IMPOSSIBLE even if you want to re-use it...


about recycling have to say that recycling is impossible too and if there would be a method to chemically recycle the materials used in a denture it would be very expensive method much more expensiive than making a new denture ...
Reply:Considering the materials that go into them, there should be somewhere that they could be recycled. Since recycling has turned into an important environmental issue, perhaps you can get something started in your area and I'll see what I can do in mine. It's a shame to see them going into the landfills, but that's where they end up. I worked in the hospitals for 23 years and for some reason we always had boxes of them, which were just thrown away every year. Imagine someone going through those boxes, trying them on, to find a pair that fits them or to find their lost ones. Maybe the Dental or Denturist programs could use them for training. They could be shredded and recycled into something else though.


R~
Reply:Hello Giza,


It's a great thought but no, there's nothing you can do with the partial.





I know it seems like a waste but actually the majority of the cost is the making of the complete item. The individual teeth and additional materials are relatively inexpensive. The lab where the goods are made has to pay a technician to make the goods and normally they incur the cost of transporting the materials back and forth to the DDS as well. The DDS also adds a percentage on to the cost as a handling fee (it is not shown separately).


In the end, just toss them.