What is a Reline?

A reline is when the Denturist takes an impression of your mouth using your current denture and takes it back to his laboratory. There he removes the interior structure of the denture and bonds a new layer of denture material to the inside of the denture. This new layer of denture material is form fitted to your mouth to help improve your denture, and overall fit. The new material that is placed in your denture does not change the appearance of your denture on the outside, but helps to maintain a healthy bite, strong chewing forces in your jaws, and a healthy smile. Speech irregularities may be improved for better communication skills.

There are basically three (3) different types of denture relines:

1. Permanent Hard Liners
2. Permanent Soft Liners
3. Temporary Soft Liners

Permanent Hard Liners 

A permanent hard reline can either be done with an office-cured plastic, or it can be done with a laboratory-cured plastic. Due to the special processing, the laboratory cured reline tends to last longer. Both procedures are ready the same day, and we will recommend the type best suited to your personal needs.

Permanent Soft Liners

A permanent soft reline can be done here at the office and are specially processed in our laboratory. These permanent type, laboratory processed soft relines will last the life of your denture and stay soft. They do require special care and cleaning as they may stain if not cleaned regularly.

Temporary Soft Liners

A temporary soft reline is done to compensate for the shrinkage of bone due to recent extractions or an excessive loss of weight. They are designed to last as long as three (3) months or until the shrinkage has stopped. They are then replaced with a permanent liner.

Denture relines are necessary in order to accomplish several goals. These goals include:

1. Increasing retention and tightness of old, existing dentures or new dentures that, for one reason or another have lost retention. Sometimes this may be due to recent extractions or alteration in the gum tissue due to natural shrinkage.
2. Dentures constantly breaking in half.
3. Relining of old dentures hoping to avoid the necessity of remaking them entirely.
4. To help reduce soreness to the gums that is caused by loose fitting or rocking dentures. Liners allow your abused gum tissue to return to a proper state of health.

In order for a permanent hard or soft liner to be successful the existing bite of your current denture must be correct as a reline does not change the bite but only the inside of the denture.