While today’s dentures are very well-made, they aren’t absolutely perfect. The prosthetics still need regular relining to work well; they’ll fail early otherwise. Given that fact, many patients wonder, “Can I reline my dentures myself?” The matter is a serious oral issue, so your local Orem dentist is here with a proper answer. Just keep reading to learn why you shouldn’t reline dentures yourself, as well as why to see a dentist instead.
Context: What’s Denture Relining?
Even if a denture fits poorly, it may not need replacement. The device could simply be relined to adjust its structure and improve its effectiveness.
“Relining” refers to adding new material to a denture’s inner surface. Through the process, an ill-fitting restoration can fit your mouth more snugly and comfortably than before. A good relining can even use varying substances and materials, depending on your exact needs. The result is that it’s a highly versatile type of tooth replacement repair.
Relines are usually categorized as either “soft” or “hard.” Soft ones add or place a soft polymer, while a hard line uses material similar to pink acrylic.
DIY Relining Ruins Dentures
Whatever social media may say, you shouldn’t try relining your dentures yourself. The attempt can leave your restorations (and your smile) in worse shape than before.
Indeed, DIY relining tends to severely damage dentures. The process doesn’t let you see areas that need support, so it often adds too much or too little material. This flaw can cause dentures to fit even more poorly, reducing their effectiveness.
Patient-led relining also risks your oral health. Because the task makes dentures fit (more) poorly, it can lead to jaw pain, headaches, eating difficulties, and more. Such things will then trigger severe oral issues that lower your quality of life.
See Dentists for Denture Relining
Rather than relining dentures yourself, you should leave the job to a dentist. Their training, resources, and skills ensure they’ll do an amazing job.
A dentist will normally follow several steps to reline a denture. For starters, they’ll check the actual denture to confirm why it fits poorly. The dentist will then review their findings before suggesting (and performing) a soft or hard reline. (Soft relines involve sending a denture to a lab, while hard ones are done in the office.) Once the relining is over, the dentist lets you check the denture to see if its fit has improved.
To the question, “Can I reline my dentures myself?”, the answer is a firm no. Please take this truth seriously and visit your dentist if you need relining.
About the Practice
Frandsen Dental of Orem is based in Orem, UT. Led by Drs. Frandsen and Dansie, our practice aims to make dentistry comprehensive and convenient. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative treatments, all tailored to your unique smile’s needs. Whatever ails your grin, you can rest assured – our team will make your mouth better than ever! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (801)-224-7900.