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Question: Can Dentures be Remolded?

How are your dentures fitting these days? Has it been a while since you’ve seen your denturist?

When it comes to your Dentures, Olds Denture and Implant Centre wants to make sure that you are feeling your best all of the time. After a while your gums can experience a change in density and shape, this can leave your dentures feeling uncomfortable and potentially too big or too small for your gums. This can lead to rubbing, pinching, movement during chewing or talking, or just generally feel like you have a foreign object in your mouth.

Let Olds Denture and Implant Centre take a look!

Why does this happen?

When a person has their teeth extracted for the purpose of getting dentures, or any other reason, this causes the body to reabsorb the surrounding alveolar bone tissue or “housing” bone tissue and redisperse them back throughout the body. This can start to happen right away, within three to four months after having those teeth extracted. This can last for years or throughout one’s life slowly.

This reabsorption can cause the alveolar bone, the “housing”, to change shape and even lose density over time. Where a previously fitting denture once sat snug and perfect, they may now become lose or tight to the gums, can pinch and no longer feel like they once did.

For more information about this, ask your denturist at your next appointment!

Relines?

Your dentist or denturist has the ability to fix this for you! In most cases this can be done using a quick and simple method right at Olds Denture and Implant Centre! There are three options available for patients and pros or cons to each of these, your dentist or denturist would be happy to go through all of these pros and cons with you to help you better understand and decide what is best for you. In the meantime, you can read about them here.

Temporary Reline:

If you are needing an immediate fix due to pain or possible breakage but are not willing to spend any time away from your dentures, these may be the option for you. These temporary denture fixes usually contain an antibiotic or are medication to help alleviate pain while another set is being made for you either at the office or if a set has been sent away for repair.

These temporary relines are just that, temporary. They do not last longer than two or three weeks. These are intended to be used only while your original set receives a hard reline or while a new set is being made for you.

Soft Reline:

Having a soft reline done to your denture can make the denture fit better and feel more comfortable, this reline should last for about a year or two and is usually recommended if the patient has just recently started wearing the denture.

A soft reline can be done in office as well and is usually more affordable than a hard reline. This is done by adding a soft, pliable material to the top of the denture and refitting it to the patient’s gums. The excess is then scraped away and made to look just as presentable as the original denture. This can all be done in one appointment and there is no time spent away from the denture. This option tends to give the patient more comfort but will not last as long as a hard reline.

Hard Reline:

A hard reline, while being more expensive, is usually the most effective way to get the longevity that you expect from your dentures when first receiving them. A patient can typically go about 5 years between hard relines. This procedure typically involves shaving a thin layer off of the inside of the denture lining. A material is then used inside of the denture and then is placed inside of the mouth to recast an impression, taking the exact shape of the gums and ridge of the mouth.

Hard relines can be done in office as well, but there is also a chance that the denture could be sent away to a lab to be completed.

Hard relines are also done in the instance that there has been some breakage or cracking in the original denture. This can be an easily fixable solution of the patient is not prepared or able to receive a brand-new pair of dentures.

No Matter what you think about your dentures, it is always a good idea to stay in touch with your dentist and to make those regular appointments to check on the health and durability of your dentures and to avoid having future problems with the denture.

If you are experiencing pain, pinching, uncomfortably, sliding or rubbing or the dentures just aren’t fitting as they used to – call Olds Denture and Implant Centre today and ask their advice or book an appointment today!