Have you noticed your denture moves around more than it used to? Are you noticing sores or are you gagging because of this? You may need a reline! What is a reline? Just as the body changes over time, so does the mouth and this could result into a ill-fitting denture. A reline is the process of adding acrylic to the denture surface that contacts your gums, usually resulting in a better fitting denture. A reline is not a guarantee that your denture will stay in better without adhesive. The reline is considered successful if the patient has a better fitting denture and can retain their dental prosthetic using less adhesive.

What is a denture reline? Relines may be performed using hard or soft material. In most cases, the reline is a hard acrylic material because the hard material harbors less bacteria and is more durable, creating a longer lasting fit. However, in some cases, dentists prefer to use soft reline material for a temporary solution. The soft reline material may peel out or begin to discolor because of bacterial inhabitation over time. If this happens, you may need to have the soft reline completed again, or it may be time for a hard reline. You will need to visit your dentist to evaluate your specific needs.

How is a denture reline completed? A reline is a process that can take place in a dental laboratory or chair-side, in front of the patient to update their dental prosthetic fit. The benefit of having a chair-side reline is the reline will be complete in a matter of minutes, and in most cases the patient will walk out of their appointment with an updated fit! However, some patients do not care for this process as they will have impression like material in their mouth for an elongated period of time, and the material may have tiny voids or “holes”. The benefit of dental laboratory reline is generally the quality of the reline. Just like anything, laboratory relines have potential negatives, if your dentist does not have an on-site dental laboratory, it may take two weeks to get your relined denture back. Even if your dentist has an on-site dental laboratory, there may be a small period of waiting, in some cases it is a few hours, in others it may be a few days.