Relines

Relining your dentures is a procedure that updates the inner surface of your denture to the gum tissue in your mouth. This is accomplished by placing a new acrylic base in to the denture, duplicating the new form of the oral structure in the mouth. Having a reline will give your dentures a better fit, more stability and help in keeping food from getting trapped underneath them. Relines are required for a variety of reasons, some being substantial weight loss or shrinking of the gum tissue, also called resorption. This condition is caused by the normal aging process or can also be caused by the extraction of natural teeth.

Generally, dentures may need to be relined every 2-3 years. Relines are a normal part of denture maintenance and are crucial to the health of the oral tissue and bone support of your mouth. There are some instances however that a reline is not the best procedure for a denture. If the denture has lost some retention or occlusion has changed, a reline will not correct the retention of the denture.

There are a few types of relines

• Chairside – reline material is inserted in to the denture and allowed to set up in the mouth while seated in the operatory chair. This reline is available in both hard and soft base and is not meant as a long-term solution for retention issues
• Lab-processed Reline – this is completed by taking an impression inside the existing denture and duplicating the new form of the oral structure in the mouth. This reline is also offered in both hard and soft bases.