Relining dentures helps to make them fit better. Over time, the shape of your mouth changes and this can adversely affect the fit of your denture. Normal wear and tear can also affect the fit of the denture. In such cases, a dental reline is recommended by the dentist.
Dental Reline
A new denture should conform to the shape of the gums and remain in the mouth. Over time, the denture gets loose and to prevent this from happening, it’s necessary to have your denture relined by the dentist every 2 years. A dental reline is a procedure performed by the dentist during which the underside of the denture is shaved and replaced with plastic so as to realign the denture properly with the gums. There are 3 types of dental reline procedures that are performed. These include a hard reline, a soft reline and a temporary reline.
Soft Reline
Due to painful gums, you might often find it difficult to continue to wear your denture. In a soft reline procedure, a waxy material that’s soft and pliable is used to line that part of the denture that requires repeated relining. This material stays soft for at least a year and is better than ordinary acrylic, as it doesn’t cause sore spots on the gums.
Hard Reline
During this procedure the plastic interior of the denture is removed and replaced with putty. Once this putty is inserted in the mouth, it hardens and takes a new impression of the gum line. After the putty dries, it can be used in conjunction with our previous denture to make a new denture at the lab. The modified denture conforms exactly to the shape of your mouth. A hard reline can be completed in 1 working day.
Temporary Reline
A temporary dental reline is for people with swollen gums due to continuous use of dentures over an extended period of time. Such a reline is done before a hard reline is performed. Alternatively, an impression for a new denture can be taken. An impression that’s taken when the gums are in poor shape won’t augur well for the fitting of the modified or new denture. Therefore, a temporary reline has to be worn for a few weeks as this helps to minimize the swelling so that the gums are restored to a normal state.
Reasons for a Dental Reline
If you have suffered from weight loss, weight gain or water retention, the shape of your mouth may have changed and a new denture may be necessary. Sometimes, the denture rubs against the gums and causes an infection that can affect the fit of the denture. You may require a reline to solve this problem. Besides this, with regular wear and tear, the condition of the denture can deteriorate and a reline might be necessary. Similarly, an overbuilt denture or a resorbed ridge will give you an improper fit and you may have to visit the dentist for a reline.
A dental reline helps you get a better fit for your denture. This in turn helps the dental ridge maintain good health and prolongs the life of the denture. Since a well fitting denture enables you to eat well, you remain healthy and fit in the long run.
