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Relining Or Rebasing: What's Best For Your Dentures?

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Anyone who wears dentures will know the importance of regular relining. This counts as necessary maintenance and will ensure that your dentures continue to fit comfortably. You would have been told about the requirement of periodic denture relining when you received your dentures, but what about rebasing? This is a type of denture maintenance that provides benefits that are similar to relining but is a more radical overhaul of your dentures. So, what's the difference? And which process is going to be best for your dentures?

Artificial Teeth

Your dentures are an effective means of replacing your natural teeth, but dentures (prosthetic teeth attached to a base) are not natural. While they can experience some wear and tear as the result of regular usage, they're made of acrylic resin. So while they won't exactly change or degrade in the same way as natural teeth, it can be that their fit gradually becomes less comfortable. This is unlikely to have much to do with the dentures themselves and is more due to minuscule changes to the shape and density of your jaw. This is a natural part of the aging process, although it can be affected by the fact that your dental sockets no longer have to support natural teeth. 

Relining

When you notice that your dentures no longer fit as well as they once did, it's a sign that you need to schedule an appointment with a denture clinic in your area for a reline. Your gums might be slightly irritated or even inflamed. Additionally, you might notice that your dentures are slipping, causing problems with talking and chewing. A denture reline is the application of resin to the fitting surface of your denture base, reflecting the contours of your mouth. This means your dentures will once again have the best possible fit (and comfort). You can even opt for a soft relining, replacing hard resin with a soft, pliable equivalent. This is the best solution for someone with sensitive gums. But when might you need a denture rebase?

Rebasing

Denture rebasing is a more comprehensive form of maintenance. It also improves the fit of your dentures, but it offers more reinforcement for dentures that might have worn down to the point where they could easily become cracked or otherwise damaged. A reline focuses on the inner surface of your denture plate, whereas a rebase replaces the overall surface area of your denture base. The entirety of the denture base is often replaced, but the prosthetic teeth are retained, so it's not quite the same as a total denture replacement. 

In many instances, a denture relining is all you need, but occasionally a denture rebasing will be necessary. These types of maintenance will extend the lifespan of your dentures and will make sure they're comfortable and effective.


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