Over time, changes to your jaw can cause dentures to stop fitting like they use to, causing discomfort and disrupting your ability to speak or chew food. However, you don’t have to live with ill-fitting dentures. If you or anyone you know has dentures that don’t fit well, we want you to know there is a solution: denture relining.
A denture reline consists of lining the tissue side of the denture with new material to give it an updated fit, filling the spaces left by the changes in your gums.
There are three types of relines available to suit each patient’s needs:
- Temporary reline: using a soft, rubber-like material and usually placed after tooth extractions, when significant changes are expected. This procedure is also used if your gums are irritated or swollen from dentures that don’t fit correctly. Once your jaw heals, you would be fitted with a more permanent reline.
- Soft reline: to give the denture a more cushioned feel when the patient experiences discomfort. The material used is soft like in the temporary reline, but made to last longer. It must be replaced after one or two years.
- Hard reline: done when the patient is accustomed to wearing dentures and comfortable with them. This reline is made of hard acrylic, basically the same material as the body of the denture. It is strong and long-lasting.
The Benefits
A denture reline brings a lot of benefits to the patient, including a better fit and allowing the denture to work properly. It also:
- Helps the dental ridges stay healthy by preventing irritation and sore spots that lead to infection
- Promotes proper chewing and speaking
- Makes the denture last longer
- Keeps a firm jaw, which improves and maintains the facial features and structure
- Can be used to repair a cracked denture.
- Prevents or slows the further shrinking of dental ridges.
If your dentures are starting to become loose and you notice sore spots or gum irritation, don’t hesitate to let us know so we can help you get relief and get your dentures back in proper working order. We may also recommend discussing denture alternatives. Please let us know how we can help!