DENTURE RELINES.

Relining and rebasing

RELINING YOUR OLDER DENTURES

Relining and Rebasing
Dentures usually need periodic alterations because the tissues and bone supporting the dentures change over time. Relining and rebasing are alterations that adjust the fit of your dentures to make them more secure on your gums. Rebasing involves making an entirely new denture base, while relining modifies the existing one. Both procedures maintain the denture's existing artificial teeth.

Relining
Relining involves resurfacing the portion of the denture that fits against your gum tissue. After teeth are extracted, the bone that once held your teeth shrinks (a process called bone resorption), and it is common to discover that your dentures no longer fit properly as the resorption continues. If the denture is otherwise in good shape, your dentist may recommend an office reline.

•Our Dental Prosthetist will clean the denture thoroughly and remove 2 to 3 millimeters of the surface that fits against your gums.
•In some cases, a bonding agent is used to secure the reline material to the denture.
•The reline material (an acrylic resin) is mixed and placed in the denture.
•The denture is placed in your mouth while the resin is still soft.
•An impression of your gum tissue is made inside the denture as it sits in your mouth.
•The reline material hardens in a shape that conforms to your gums and enhances the fit.
•Your prosthetist checks the new surface and polishes the denture.
There are two types of relines, soft and hard. Each uses different materials. The material for soft relines remains somewhat flexible. If you pressed the material with your fingernail, you would see an impression. Resin used for hard relines does not have this flexibility.
Soft relines are generally considered temporary. The material used is biodegradable and is not meant to last more than a few months. Soft relines can be repeated at regular intervals if your jawbone can't tolerate the force of a hard-reline material. The softer material absorbs some of the stress of chewing. Some people receive a soft reline if the gum tissue needs time to heal from the effects of an ill-fitting denture or other stresses that have caused injury. In this situation, after the gums are healthy, a hard reline would be done.

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Rebasing
Rebasing, which is less common than relining, involves replacing the entire base of the denture, but keeping the teeth. It is a more complex process, involving two or three dental visits. You will be without your dentures for a period of time, perhaps one day, but sometimes several days.
Which One Is Right for You?
A laboratory reline can be done quickly and less expensively than a rebase. However, the material used in a reline is not as dense as that used in rebasing. Because relining materials are not as dense, they are more likely to discolor or take on unpleasant odors.

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