Though dentures may fit well at first, they could need adjustments over time. Your mouth’s shape changes as you get older, after all. The issue could even make you want to reline your dentures yourself to save money. However, you really shouldn’t try DIY repairs when it comes to your smile. Doing so would likely ruin your prosthetics and your oral health as well. To learn why, here’s a primer on denture relining and why you should leave it to dentists.
What’s Denture Relining?
A denture that fits poorly won’t work as well as it should. To compensate, it can have its fit adjusted through a relining.
Denture relining adds new material to a denture’s inner surface. Once this material is placed, it usually ensures a better and comfier fit for the patient. The relining can even work with varying substances based on your needs. For these reasons, relining is widely-viewed as highly versatile.
Don’t Reline Dentures Yourself
To save money, many people will try relining their dentures themselves. These sorts will rely on DIY kits, videos, and other resources for the sake of convenience. While the approach is tempting, though, you shouldn’t use it; self-done denture relining is a threat to your grin.
Crucially, DIY relines tend to damage dentures. You can’t clearly see the areas that need support or new material on your own. As a result, your relining could add too much or too little of a component. This mistake would leave your dentures worse off than before.
At the same time, a personal relining would put your oral health at risk. It’d likely cause your dentures to fit more poorly, leading to jaw pain, headaches, and eating challenges. Such things would just lower your quality of life.
Only Dentists Should Reline Dentures
If you want your dentures to fit snugly, you should have a dentist reline them. They have the tools and know-how to ensure the prosthetics turn out well.
Most dentists follow a few key steps for relining. First, they’ll do a close exam of the affected denture to see why it fits poorly. They’ll then review their findings before suggesting (and performing) a hard or soft reline. The dentist would perform a hard reline wholly in-office, while they’d send dentures to a lab for soft relines.
Though it may seem tempting, please don’t reline dentures yourself. Talk to your dentist and have them make the repairs!
About the Practice
Rauchberg Dental Group is based in Parsippany, NJ. Led by our talented dentists, our practice provides quality dental care to every patient we see. Whether it’s preventive, cosmetic, or restorative work, our team will make your grin healthy and gorgeous. We can even reline your dentures if or when they start to fit poorly. For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (973)-718-9887.