Dentures are a great way to replace a variety of teeth at the same time. However, unlike the dentures that you remember your grandparents wearing, dentures today are customized for each patient, allowing them to look natural and fit perfectly. Since the mouth continues to change over time, your prosthetic needs to be relined every few years. You can do this by visiting your dentist, but what about at home? Continue reading to learn more about the process and whether or not a DIY denture reline kit is a good idea.
Can You Reline Your Dentures at Home?
There seems to be a DIY kit for just about everything these days. However, it isn’t recommended or advisable to attempt to reline your dentures on your own. A dental professional is best able to examine your unique situation to give you proper advice. It is best to trust your dentist with the relining process. This way, you are less likely to end up with damaged dentures that don’t fit properly. Ill-fitting dentures can result in a variety of issues, including inflammation, irritation, and blisters in the mouth.
Why Do Dentures Need to Be Relined?
Dentures are customized to fit your smile perfectly. This is why you need to go through the process of having impressions made when you first get them. However, you might notice that after a few years, your dentures don’t fit how they did when you first got them. This isn’t because your dentures have changed. Instead, it is a result of your mouth changing over time. When you are missing teeth, your jawbone isn’t being stimulated by the tooth roots, causing it to be reabsorbed by your body. Ultimately, your dentures need to be altered. If you wait too long to have your dentures relined, you could end up with the following issues.
- Gum inflammation & irritation
- Blisters, cuts, & scrapes in the mouth
- Headaches & earaches due to abnormal jaw pressure
- Difficulty chewing, resulting in indigestion
- Jawbone atrophy
How Does the Dentures Relining Process Work?
Relining a denture involves adding new material to the inside surface of the denture to improve how it fits in the mouth. Generally speaking, the first step of a permanent reline is making a thin impression inside your existing dentures. Then, the denture is sent to the dental lab where acrylic material is used to fill in gaps where the mouth has changed.
As opposed to a permanent denture reline, a soft denture reline is used when a patient has particularly sensitive teeth or excessive bone loss. This type of reline acts as a cushion to the denture, but it doesn’t tend to last as long.
When it comes to relining your dentures, it is best to rely on a trained professional and avoid the DIY approach. This way, you can expect your replacement teeth to have an optimal fit and function.
About the Practice
At Advanced Dental Concepts, Dr. Danny Hayes, Dr. Christine Mousa, and Dr. Allison Lent work together to treat patients in the Crown Point area. With their combined experience and expertise, patients can get pretty much anything they need under one roof. To learn more about dentures or to schedule an appointment, visit their website or call (219) 663-6878.