Signs It's Time to Reline Your Dentures

Denture relining involves replacing the part of the dentures that sits against your gums. It helps your dentures fit, feel, and function better. The teeth portion of the denture doesn’t usually need replacing, so a denture reline is a good way to get the most mileage out of your dentures. 

Here at Pioneer Dental Group, we’re here to help you get and maintain the best-fitted dentures for a lifetime. Our knowledgeable dentist, Dr. Behzad Binafard, has extensive expertise in complete, partial, and implant-retained dentures. He works with our highly trained team to provide full-spectrum denture care in our Norwalk, California, office. 

One of our main goals at Pioneer Dental Group is making denture care easier for our patients. Our own on-site dental lab makes denture care convenient. Whether it’s your first time fitting, repairs, or maintenance like relining, we can help. 

Because relining is one of the most-requested denture services, we thought that this was a good time to discuss the signs that your dentures need a fit upgrade. Read on to find out more about relining, how it works, and when you need to come see us. 

Signs you need a denture reline

There are a few tell-tale signs that can warn you when it’s time for a denture reline. Watch out for symptoms like: 

• Raw areas or sores in your gums
• Dentures feel looser than they used to
• Dentures shift or slide when you eat
• Chewing is challenging
• Food gets lodged between your dentures and gums
• Speaking is harder and you can’t enunciate well 
• Your gums look smaller than they used to be

Depending on the symptoms you have and how sensitive your gums are, we may recommend a hard or soft denture reline. 

Hard versus soft denture reline 

The two types of denture reline are: 

Hard reline

A hard denture reline is a procedure to reshape the denture base. We make a mold of your mouth first. Then, we use a rigid material to shape your denture base to the specific dimensions of your mouth. 

A hard denture reline helps your dentures fit much better, and that in turn makes them more comfortable to wear. It can remove your worries about denture slipping, and because it fits so much better, your newly-relined denture is much less likely to cause gum discomfort.  

Soft reline

A soft denture reline involves placing an extra layer of liquid polymer to the base of your denture. This adds cushion to the denture base, absorbs shock when you chew, and helps it conform to your gums better. 

Soft relines are temporary, but they’re sometimes a good solution if your mouth is changing (for instance, gum shrinkage due to bone loss, which commonly happens after you lose teeth). 

You could also need a soft reline if you’re having denture fit problems but your gums are too sensitive for a hard reline right now. 

No matter what kind of reline you get, taking good care of your dentures can help them last as long as possible. We recommend scheduling regular relines as a preventive measure. This can help you avoid ever developing sore gums or other problems. Every two years is a common guideline, but yours may vary based on your unique needs. 

Is it time for a denture reline? We’re here to take care of it fast. Call our office at 562-684-6179 or click the online booking feature.