Adjusting Prosthetics: What is Denture Relining?

Dentures are the tried-and-true solution for tooth loss because they can rebuild your grin’s appearance and functionality regardless of how many natural teeth you have remaining. Plus, they’re customized to look and feel as lifelike as possible.

Although they’re designed to fit like a glove, your restoration might eventually become ill-fitting and won’t form a tight enough bond against your gums to remain firmly in place. In some cases, your dentist can help you reline your dentures, allowing you to continue using them without interruption. Continue reading to learn more about why this process is sometimes necessary and how it works!

Why Must My Dentures Be Relined?

Did you know that your jaw begins to thin after your pearly whites start to fall out? Your roots stimulate new jawbone growth with every bite down, and without them, you can lose up to 25% of the surrounding bone mass within the first 12 months. That means your prosthetics, which were designed to fit like a glove, can eventually become loose and destabilized.

However, you might also need to have your dentures relined if the acrylic base is overly worn down from daily wear and tear or has developed cracks because it was left out to dry too long. Whether it’s to prevent bacteria from collecting in gaps or to account for a slightly shifting facial structure, your dentist can improve the condition of your replacement teeth by adjusting their foundation.   

What is Involved in Relining Dentures?

To extend the lifespan of your prosthetic and allow you to continue using it normally, your dentist can add new material to the inner plate that presses against your gums to better conform to the mounds and tissues in your mouth.

There are two ways to reline your dentures, outlined in more detail below:

• Soft reline. This is a quick and convenient way to adjust the base of your dentures to improve the fit. First, your provider will clean them thoroughly, then apply a special resin to the base before pressing it back over your gums to create an impression. This eventually hardens, allowing for a tighter seal against your connective tissues. This entire process can often be completed in a single, hour-long visit to your dentist’s office.
• Hard reline. This repair usually lasts longer than a soft reline, but might require the help of a dental lab if major changes are required. The process is very similar, except additional acrylic is added to the foundation of your restoration rather than resin. This can sometimes cause sore spots as your mouth must acclimate to new dimensions once the repair is complete.

If you’re uncertain whether your dentures need to be relined, the best way to learn for certain is to contact your dentist!

About the Practice

At Peery & Woolwine Family Dentistry, you benefit from a team of dentists with decades of combined experience helping people of all ages build and maintain beautiful, healthy smiles. They have been providing a comprehensive menu of services to families near Lynchburg since 1980, and take pride in establishing relationships with patients to tailor treatment plans to their unique needs. They combine a caring approach with state-of-the-art technology to deliver comfortable, accurate results intended to last. If your dentures don’t fit or are worn down, you can request an appointment on the website or call (434) 847- 5331.