Denture Reline Procedures
After a long period of use, dentures inevitably tend to wear down. Dentures tend to alter the topography of your gums, causing the denture to become looser. Instead of completely replacing your dentures, your dentist can perform a relining procedure, correcting the denture to fit your altered gums and mouth.
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Hard Reline
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Many dentists will perform this procedure for their denture-wearing patients every two years. The dentist takes your dentures and eliminates the misaligned plastic. The dentist fills the denture with soft pink putty (Vinyl Polysiloxane Impression Material) and has you bite down on the putty. This leaves an impression on the putty that reflects the new alignment of your gums and mouth. The putty slowly hardens over several minutes. With this new impression, the dentist has a laboratory create a hard pink plastic material in place of the putty. The hard pink plastic will now better conform to your gums.
Soft Reline
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If you experience pain or sore spots from your dentures, your dentist can perform a soft reline. The dentist inserts a soft, waxy or rubbery material inside the plastic denture to create a more comfortable fit for you. The material does not harden and will retain its elasticity for about 2 years.
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Temporary Relines
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Often patients will delay in having their dentures realigned, which can cause serious pain and injury to the gums. In this case, the gums are so injured that the dentist will have to wait to take impressions for a hard reline. Dentists will use a completely soft denture, without any hard plastic, which can only be worn for a few months as the material begins to break down, and at this point the gums have healed. At this point, you will either be fit with a soft or hard reline.
Rebasing the Denture
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Dentists also refer to this procedure as "jumping the denture" or a "jump case." The dentist does a hard reline on the denture, but also replaces all of the pink plastic material. The teeth are the only old parts left on the denture. Dentists will choose this procedure when there are various structural cracks on the pink plastic parts of the denture, but the teeth are in good condition.
Denture Maintenance
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Dentures will have to undergo relining procedures if you do not allow your gums to heal for at least 2 hours a day. It is best to simply take your dentures out for the evening. Not doing so can affect the bone structure of your gums and erode the gums. Get in the habit of cleaning your dentures once a day. Even better, place your dentures in an oral hygiene solution for the night. Brush the dentures with a very soft toothbrush and plain non-scented, non-colored dish detergent. Avoid any abrasive brushes on the denture and do not use regular toothpaste.
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