No permanent denture is ever complete. Just like a car, even the best maintained dentures occasionally need a tune-up from the experts every now and then. When it comes to dentures, those tune-ups are known as relines. There are a number of different types you can receive, depending on your preference. However, if you want the best fitting dentures when it’s all said and done, you should opt for a lab reline.
Relining simply rectifies your dentures so that they fit your mouth just like they did the first time. Again, even the best dentures taken care of around the clock will eventually stop fitting the same. That’s because your jaw is naturally shrinking as time goes on. This phenomenon is a reaction to losing your teeth. Although you can’t feel it happening, you’ll eventually notice when you’re otherwise perfect dentures no longer fit so snuggly.
Obviously, ill-fitting dentures are uncomfortable. They can rub back and forth on your gums, causing irritation. If food particles or other debris sneak between them and your gums, you’ll feel it immediately and it can cause damage. Loose dentures also tend to make a clicking noise when their wearer speaks or eats. On top of all this, all that moving around your dentures do can actually erode your jaw even further.
So, needless to say, you want dentures that fit perfectly. That’s where a lab relining comes into play. Your dentist will remove your dentures to apply an acrylic to it. Then they’ll replace both of them back into your mouth so that the acrylic is able to take a mold. When the dentist is satisfied they have it, the acrylic will be removed and your dentures returned.
That acrylic now gives the dentist an accurate impression of how much room needs to be made up in order to get the dentures back to fitting well. With some relines, the job will be finished on the spot. The acrylic is added in and your dentures are ready to wear. However, with a lab reline, the acrylic is sent away to a lab for processing. This method provides a denture that’s able to endure longer than any other process of relining. If you have a lab handle it, you should only need relining done once every two years or so.
Obviously, you can always visit your dentist if your dentures aren’t fitting well. However, no matter what, you should check in every two years to ensure everything is as it should be.
