When done professionally and designed to the specifications of your gums, new dentures typically fit very securely in your mouth. However, as time passes, your gum tissues begin to change. When this occurs, dentures may become somewhat loose fitting, and thus more prone to movement inside of your mouth. This can lead to discomfort and all sorts of complications. If you haven’t been receiving a regular oral examination for your dentures, and you’ve noticed an issue with their fit, it may be time to have them professionally relined. To keep dentures secure and functional, this procedure is commonly required every one to two years.
Types of Denture Reline Procedures
Hard Reline
All full dentures should have a hard reline every two years. Vancouver Dental Specialty Clinic removes a layer of plastic from the dentures interior surface, and then fills the denture with a putty-like material which conforms to the contours of your mouth creating an accurate impression. The denture is sent to the lab where it is adjusted to the new shape of your gum tissue. This results in maximum contact between the denture and your mouth.
Soft Reline
Some patients are unable to wear ordinary dentures because of tender gums or sore spots. Vancouver Dental Specialty Clinic may recommend relining the denture with a material that stays pliable for one to two years before needing replacement. This material is much less likely to give the patient sore spots than the standard hard reline acrylic. Patients experiencing these problems may also consider a more permanent solution of implant retained dentures.
Temporary Reline
If your dentures have not been serviced in quite some time, a your gums may become red, swollen, or misshapen. This creates problems in taking impressions for a new hard or soft reline and may lead to a denture that would perpetuate the problem.
In this case, a temporary, or palliative (medicated) reline material may be recommended to allow the inflammation to subside. This reline makes the denture fit much more securely, and is typically soft and pliable. After a few weeks or a month or two, the gums return to a more normal state. The patient (you) would then ready for a new denture or hard reline.