Many factors can contribute to the life of your denture. However, most dentures will need to have a reline or rebase on average every 2-3 years.
Whether or not you received your denture from Renew Denture Clinic, our denturist is happy to assess your denture and recommend and perform a reline if needed. (Alternatively, our denturist will always be honest if he finds that your denture does not yet need a reline.)
Your mouth changes slowly over time, and relines and rebases both address these changes to re-fit your denture to your new mouth shape. This can assist in renewing your denture’s fit and function.
Both the ageing process and any loss of natural teeth can cause vast changes in any mouth – changes that are unseen by the untrained eye. One of the changes denturists focus on the most, is the amount of pressure against the bones. When this pressure is reduced or not applied correctly, bone loss can occur quickly. Even when pressure is applied properly by a well-fitting denture, bone loss will still occur slowly, and may not be obvious until after a reline or rebase is completed.
A reline is a process that “gives your denture a new fit against your changed gum tissue.” A reline is often recommended for a patient with a 3+ year old denture or whose denture is not fitting as well as it used to. To determine whether a reline is needed, our denturist will usually take a special impression inside the existing denture. This process alone can show the patient how well their denture should fit. The denturist will then refit the denture by adding acrylic to the spaces between the denture and the tissue that was created by the years of bone or tissue loss.
A rebase is similar to a reline in that it is used to refit your denture. A rebase is often recommended for a patient with an ill-fitting or 3+ year old denture where the acrylic has become too porous to function well. If acrylic is too porous, it can absorb bacteria and saliva, which can impact the integrity of the denture and can be hazardous to your health. A rebase differs from a reline in that the denturist replaces almost all of the pink acrylic.
Some signs that your denture/partial should be checked for a reline or rebase include the following:
- Constant or worsening sore spots
- Constant biting of cheeks or tongue
- Loose, or falling out
- Difficulty chewing
- Indigestion
- Consistently finding food stuck in your denture
- Aesthetics changed since denture was new
- Change in facial features since denture was new
- Difficulty cleaning/freshening denture
- Bone loss or tissue softening
- Headaches, neck, joint or ear pain
- Worn teeth
- Any damage or noticeable changes to denture such as a break, crack, chip, or loose tooth
- Removing denture when eating or doing any normal activities
- You resist wearing your denture whenever possible
- It has been longer than two years since you’ve had a checkup