Is DIY denture relining a good idea?
December 30, 2019 2:01 PM Subscribe
My dad got full dentures four or five years ago and has had nothing but trouble ever since. They are constantly too loose or causing sores.
He wore them for several days straight over the Christmas holiday week and developed a sore on one gum. But they are loose to the point that he has to use massive amounts of adhesive to put them in, and then spend a long time scraping off the dentures (and his gums) when he takes them out.
We are talking about having them remade, but I just heard about relining dentures.
MeFites with denture experience or knowledge, give me your advice, please.
-What is your experience with -relining?
-How is it decided to do a hard reline v. a soft reline?
-What about relining kits for doing it yourself? Good idea or not!
Thanks for your help.
He wore them for several days straight over the Christmas holiday week and developed a sore on one gum. But they are loose to the point that he has to use massive amounts of adhesive to put them in, and then spend a long time scraping off the dentures (and his gums) when he takes them out.
We are talking about having them remade, but I just heard about relining dentures.
MeFites with denture experience or knowledge, give me your advice, please.
-What is your experience with -relining?
-How is it decided to do a hard reline v. a soft reline?
-What about relining kits for doing it yourself? Good idea or not!
Thanks for your help.
Best answer: If your dad is happy with the way the dentures look and they're in good shape, he should definitely look into having them relined before going to a remake. I do hard relines all the time at work (dental lab tech) and it makes a big difference. If your dad had a lot of teeth pulled when he got his dentures, it's likely that the shape of his edentulous ridge has changed significantly since then. You'd be amazed at how much the shape of someone's arch can change in even 6 months, let alone several years.
Typically we do several months to a year of soft relines after a patient's teeth have been pulled and the dentures seated. That gives their edentulous ridge time to resorb to a more stable place, where less shrinkage is likely to occur. At that point we'll do a hard reline. Usually that's also when we make a second, "final", set and the patient keeps the first set as a backup.
I don't have any firsthand experience with DIY kits. I'm sure they work for some people, but as loose as your dad's sound, and considering how old they are, I don't know how effective it would be. However I will say that hard relines can be pricey, depending on the dentist and the lab, and if a reline kit is cheap it might be worth trying first if money is an obstacle.
posted by Tek at 5:33 PM on December 30, 2019 [5 favorites]
Typically we do several months to a year of soft relines after a patient's teeth have been pulled and the dentures seated. That gives their edentulous ridge time to resorb to a more stable place, where less shrinkage is likely to occur. At that point we'll do a hard reline. Usually that's also when we make a second, "final", set and the patient keeps the first set as a backup.
I don't have any firsthand experience with DIY kits. I'm sure they work for some people, but as loose as your dad's sound, and considering how old they are, I don't know how effective it would be. However I will say that hard relines can be pricey, depending on the dentist and the lab, and if a reline kit is cheap it might be worth trying first if money is an obstacle.
posted by Tek at 5:33 PM on December 30, 2019 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I've heard from my dentist that when people don't wear their dentures regularly the shape of their gums changes. Teeth are important in keeping gums aligned, and when teeth are removed gums shift. Wearing dentures regularly helps preserve the gum formation while wearing dentures seldom encourages the gums to shift even further and compromises the denture fit.
When he has his dentures relined and they are comfortable he should discuss with the dental professional how to minimize gum movement so that his dentures remain comfortable in the future. I know nothing about pro v. self-relining, but if they are so out of alignment that he is developing sores I would probably consult a pro.
posted by citygirl at 5:48 AM on December 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
When he has his dentures relined and they are comfortable he should discuss with the dental professional how to minimize gum movement so that his dentures remain comfortable in the future. I know nothing about pro v. self-relining, but if they are so out of alignment that he is developing sores I would probably consult a pro.
posted by citygirl at 5:48 AM on December 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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I have never tried a DIY kit.
posted by irisclara at 3:46 PM on December 30, 2019 [1 favorite]