Denture Relines

New dentures will typically fit your mouth very securely as they have been fabricated from recent impressions of your gums.  As time goes on, your gum tissues will change and the fit of the denture will become loose, unstable, and thus more prone to movement inside your mouth.  Having your denture relined every one to two years will keep the fit of the denture more secure and stable.

HARD RELINE

Most dentures will require a hard surface reline every one to two years.  For this process, Dr. Clanton will remove a thin layer of acrylic from the interior surface of the denture followed by an impression being made inside of your denture.  The denture is then sent to a dental laboratory where reline material (acrylic) is processed inside the denture to create a more stable and comfortable fit.

SOFT RELINE

Some patients have difficulty wearing dentures due to chronic tenderness of gums or recurring sore spots.  Dr. Clanton may recommend relining the denture with a material that is somewhat flexible and pliable offering a “cushioning effect” for the gum tissues.  This material will help improve stability and fit along with increased patient comfort.

Patients experiencing problems with chronic denture discomfort may want to consider a more permanent solution of implant retained dentures.

TEMPORARY RELINES

If dentures have not been evaluated and serviced for some time, a patient’s gums may be red, swollen, irritated, and very uncomfortable.  This creates a problem in taking impressions for a new hard or soft reline and could lead to a denture that could perpetuate the problem further.

A temporary or palliative reline material (or tissue conditioner) may be recommended to be placed inside the denture allowing for the irritation and inflammation to subside.  These relines are soft and pliable and help improve the fit of the denture.  Temporary relines remain in place for a few weeks and then a hard or soft reline is performed when gum tissues return to a more normal healthy state.