New dentures will typically fit your mouth very securely as it has been designed specifically for your gums. As time goes on, your gum tissues will change and the fit of the denture will become looser and thus more prone to movement inside your mouth. Having the denture professionally relined every one to two years will keep the denture secure and functional.
Hard Denture Reline
All full dentures should have a hard reline every two years. Arlington Family & Cosmetic Dental Associates removes a layer of plastic from the denture’s interior surface, and then fills the denture with a putty-like material that 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 Denture Reline
Some patients are unable to wear ordinary dentures because of tender gums or sore spots. Arlington Family & Cosmetic Dental Associates 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.
A soft liner is a layer of soft, pliable material that is fitted between the surface of a denture and your oral tissues. It absorbs shock between the hard base of your denture and your gums. Soft liners can be used when creating new dentures or retrofitted into existing dentures.
Permanent soft liners provide comfort and relief for individuals with receded and flattened gum tissues that don’t respond well to the stress of dentures. They may also be a suitable solution for patients with chronically sore gum tissues or gums with sharp bony areas.
Advantages of Soft Liners
- More comfortable to use
- Virtually all patients respond well to soft liner materials
- Easier chewing
- A proven technology with over 20 years of innovation
Temporary Denture Relines
If dentures have not been serviced in quite some time, a patient’s gums may be 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.
A temporary, or palliative (medicated) reline material may be recommended to allow the inflammation to subside. This reline makes the denture fit much more tightly, and is usually soft and pliable. After a few weeks, the gums return to a more normal state. The patient is then ready for his new denture or hard reline.