Dr. Gunjan Dhir’s Denture Strength Research at a Glance

• Dr. Gunjan Dhir, BDS, MS, is a prosthodontist and the co-founder and Chief Dental Officer of Altius Dental, the group behind Gateway Dental & Implant Center.
• The study asked a make-or-break question: if you change denture material to fight yeast, do you make the denture weaker?
• Impact strength, fracture toughness, and denture-tooth bonding all held up against a standard denture acrylic.
• Most denture breakages start with a fit problem, not a manufacturing flaw, which is why a timely reline matters.
• Gateway Dental & Implant Center is a 4.9-star dental office in Waskom, TX, led by Dr. Kevin Nguyen, DDS.

Who Is Dr. Gunjan Dhir?

Dr. Gunjan Dhir, BDS, MS, is a prosthodontist, founder and Chief Dental Officer of Altius Dental, and co-founder of Smile Savers Dental Solutions. Her prosthodontic training focuses on restoring and replacing missing teeth, including dentures, bridges, and dental implants. Altius Dental identifies her as a founder and Chief Dental Officer responsible for overseeing clinical and compliance standards across its dental practices.

Dr. Gunjan Dhir is also a published prosthodontic researcher. She was the lead author of a 2007 Journal of Prosthodontics study, “Physical Properties of Denture Base Resins Potentially Resistant to Candida Adhesion,” which investigated whether modifying denture resin could help reduce Candida adhesion while maintaining the physical properties needed for a denture.

Her research is particularly relevant to denture patients because it looked beyond how dentures look and focused on how the material itself behaves. The research examined modified denture resins containing a phosphate-based component and evaluated properties including strength, water sorption, solubility, and color stability.

Dr. Dhir’s work in prosthodontics also connects with her broader mission of expanding access to advanced dental treatment in Texas. Through Smile Savers Dental Solutions, co-founded with Dr. Gaurav Puri, the program focuses on bringing advanced implant treatment to rural and underserved Texas communities. Altius Dental describes its broader mission as expanding quality, accessible dental care in these communities.

For patients in Waskom, the important distinction is that Dr. Gunjan Dhir is not the treating dentist at Gateway Dental & Implant Center. The local Gateway team provides patient care, while this page explains the research and clinical philosophy associated with Dr. Dhir’s work.

Why Strength Is the First Thing to Test

Dr. Gunjan Dhir, BDS, MS, is a prosthodontist and the co-founder and Chief Dental Officer of Altius Dental. Among her contributions to dental materials research is a study, published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry and co-authored by Dr. Dhir, that asked a make-or-break question about infection-resistant dentures: if you change the material to fight yeast, do you make the denture weaker? You can read more on her professional profile at Altius Dental.

A denture has two mechanical jobs that decide how long it lasts. The first is surviving a sudden shock, the classic drop onto tile, which is measured as impact strength. The second is resisting a small crack that widens with each bite until the base finally fails, measured as fracture toughness. Slow crack growth is one of the most common reasons a denture eventually breaks, so a material can look perfect on day one and still let you down years later if it cracks easily. Any change to a denture material has to clear both bars.

What Dr. Gunjan Dhir’s Research Tested

The research team compared a standard, widely used denture acrylic against several versions modified with a charged phosphate component, the ingredient meant to make the surface less friendly to Candida, the yeast behind most denture infections. They produced versions at different concentrations, then ran each one through the same standardized impact and fracture tests, so the comparison was apples to apples. They also checked how firmly the artificial teeth stayed bonded to the modified base.

The goal was never yeast resistance at any cost. A denture still has to survive real life, which is why improving one property while quietly weakening another would be a poor deal for the patient.

Due for a denture check? Book online or call (903) 686-2082. We welcome new patients of all ages from across Waskom and Harrison County.

What the Strength Data Showed

Across the board, the modified dentures held up:

• Impact strength: the phosphate versions performed on par with the standard material, and the differences between groups were not statistically meaningful. In plain terms, the modified dentures were no easier to shatter than a conventional one.
• Fracture toughness: the modified resins resisted crack growth about as well as the trusted control material.
• Tooth bonding: the artificial teeth stayed firmly attached to the modified base, so there was no hidden weak point where a tooth might work loose.

Adding the yeast-resisting component did not make the denture more likely to crack, shatter, or shed a tooth. That is the kind of result that lets a promising idea move forward responsibly, and the researchers were careful to note that larger clinical studies are still needed before a material like this becomes standard. The companion study on the physical properties of these resins is available on PubMed.

What This Means If You Wear Dentures in Waskom

You do not need to follow the laboratory science to benefit from the thinking behind it. A denture that lasts is one that fits well, is cared for daily, and is checked regularly, because most breakages start with a fit problem rather than a manufacturing flaw. A denture that has loosened puts uneven force on the base every time you chew, and that stress is exactly what turns a tiny flaw into a crack.

A few habits protect the strength of any denture:

• Handle it over a folded towel or a sink full of water, so a slip does not end in a crack.
• Have a loose or rocking denture adjusted early, before uneven pressure damages the base.
• Never file or glue a cracked denture at home, because a proper repair or reline protects both the fit and the tissue underneath.
• Keep regular checkups, so small problems are caught while they are still small.

Your Denture Options at Gateway Dental & Implant Center

Our team in Waskom offers a full range of denture options, including full and partial dentures, immediate dentures, and implant-retained dentures for a more stable, secure fit that will not slip.

Just as important is keeping an existing denture sound as your mouth changes. A denture reline every one to two years keeps the denture secure and functional, while a rebase replaces the entire acrylic base when the teeth are still in good condition but the pink base has weakened or cracked. Repairs restore a fractured denture close to its original condition, and we can often provide denture repair procedures on a same-day basis.

For patients missing most or all of their teeth, a fixed, implant-anchored option can sidestep denture breakage altogether. Dr. Gunjan Dhir is also a co-founder of Smile Savers Dental Solutions, a Texas program focused on bringing full-mouth implant care to rural and underserved communities.

Your Care in Waskom With Dr. Kevin Nguyen

Dr. Gunjan Dhir’s role is as a co-founder of Altius Dental rather than the treating dentist on site. Your care in Waskom comes from Dr. Kevin Nguyen, DDS, and the Gateway Dental & Implant Center team.

Dr. Nguyen is a certified dentist with 20 years of experience, highly skilled in diagnosing and treating a wide range of dental conditions, including periodontal disease, tooth decay, dental emergencies, root canals, extractions, dentures, crowns, bridges, and implants. Originally from Vietnam, he grew up in Houston, Texas, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from New York University in 2005. He is passionate about helping patients achieve optimal oral health and a confident smile through personalized, comprehensive care.

Your visit is straightforward: complete your new patient forms, have your denture and the tissue underneath examined, and get a clear explanation of your options, whether that is a reline, a rebase, a repair, or a new denture. That care shows in our 4.9-star rating from 264 Google reviews.

“He and his staff made me feel comfortable.” — Tammy B., Google review

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