Dentures are a reliable and popular answer to tooth loss, as they can be designed to replace either all or several of your teeth in an arch. However, over time, you may notice that your dentures begin to fit your mouth differently. This is a natural occurrence and a common sign that you need to have them relined. While you may be tempted to try the DIY method, that could cause more harm than good. Read on to learn why you shouldn’t reline your dentures yourself and how denture relining works.
Is It Possible to Reline Your Dentures Yourself?
While you may be tempted to try to reline your dentures yourself, it isn’t recommended for a number of reasons. Your dentures were custom crafted by lab technicians to perfectly fit your mouth, allowing them to function effectively and remain comfortable, even with daily use.
If you try to reline your dentures at home because they’re causing irritation or keep slipping whenever you speak or chew, you may end up with even more problems. To avoid causing harm to your smile and ruining your dentures, it’s advised that you only allow professionals, such as your dentist in DuPont, to adjust their fit. If you don’t, you may end up spending a lot more money than you bargained for.
Signs Your Denture Needs to Be Relined
Unless your denture is retained by dental implants, you will experience bone loss over the years. This can cause the fit of your dentures to change, leading to several different signs that you need to have them relined, including:
- They feel loose whenever you bite, making it difficult to chew food or talk clearly.
- You experience discomfort or pain in your gums whenever you wear your dentures for extended periods of time, meaning they don’t fit properly anymore.
- Food becomes trapped beneath your dentures after eating, meaning they aren’t suctioned to your gumline like they should be.
- You have a difficult time speaking. The change in your denture’s fit has caused you to start slurring your words or making it difficult to pronounce certain sounds.
These changes typically occur after using your dentures for some time. If you experience any of these, be sure to take your prosthetic to your dentist to see if they need to be adjusted.
How Does Professional Denture Relining Work?
Most patients need to have their dentures relined every two to five years. These adjustments help them continue to fit comfortably atop your gumline and optimize their function. When you bring them to your dentist, they may recommend a soft reline, hard reline, or temporary reline:
- Soft relines add a cushioning material to the underside of your denture that helps relieve some discomfort when using them and can last for one to two years.
- Hard relines add a more rigid material to the original denture base and typically need to be done in a dental laboratory, but they offer a more durable result.
- Temporary relines are quick fix when your dentures are causing gum irritation, tenderness, and swelling. They use a more pliable material and are designed to be a short-term solution.
By taking your dentures in to be professionally relined, you can trust that the results will be durable, effective, and not cause additional harm to your smile. When completed by knowledgeable experts, these repairs can also help extend the lifespan of your restoration, helping you save money in the long-run.
About the Practice
At DuPont Family Dentistry, our team is led by two highly experienced experts, Dr. John Ludu and Dr. Rhenu Sharma. They’re proud to offer affordable, high-quality dentistry for patients experiencing tooth loss, including leading-edge implant dentures and tried-and-true traditional dentures. To learn more about having your dentures relined or if you want to upgrade your replacement teeth, visit our website or call 253-964-7000 to schedule a consultation.