How to Reline Dentures

The symptoms of dentures that need relining are: clicking when you eat or talk, slurred speech, slipping, or gums with sore spots. Because denture wearers' gums shrink over time, it is important to get your dentures relined periodically to prevent any of these occurrences.

Directions and different systems for relining:

• Hard relining. This is a process, whereby the dentist takes out some of the plastic found in your denture's interior. He will then fill the hole (or cavity) with material that has the same consistency as putty. The dentures will then be placed back into your mouth to get an impression, which will ultimately result in a new casting of the dentures according to the new size needed.


• Soft relining is designed for those patients who have sore gums due to lining problems. Because their gums are sore, the dentist will create a temporary relining with a waxy substance, which will remain in place for a shorter period of time, until the patient is better suited for the hard reline.


• Soft relining at home with a special kit. Because of the expense of hard relines, and the fact that the person will be without their dentures while waiting on the reline to return, some patients opt for doing it at home. There are special kits that have the soft substance that the dentists use to do the soft relines. This material is pressed against the dentures in order to re-shape the dentures in the manner they were intended to be by the manufacturer.