|
After a new denture has been inserted, it
ought to retain in the mouth quite nicely due to the fact
that the shape of the inside of the denture base conforms
closely to the shape of the gums. (Please note that good
retention (suction) of the denture does not necessarily
mean that the same denture is stable. For a good
explanation of the difference between these two
characteristics please click
here.)
Unfortunately, the longer you wear
the denture, the more your gums change underneath it, and the looser
it gets. In order to restore the retentive qualities of the
denture, and to prevent the production of flabby gum tissue under
it, you should have the denture professionally relined at least
every two years.
There are actually three types of
denture relines: Hard, Soft and Temporary.
Hard reline
This is the kind of reline that
should be done on all full dentures every two years. The dentist
removes some of the plastic from the inside of the denture, and then
fills the denture with a soft material (think of soft putty) which,
when replaced in the mouth, conforms to the contours of the tissues,
and then hardens to a rubbery consistency. When the denture is
removed, the denture now contains an accurate impression of the
shape of the gums. The denture is sent to the lab, and the
impression material is replaced with pink, hard acrylic in exactly
the same shape as the original impression material. When returned,
the denture now conforms to the contours of your mouth and should
make maximum contact with the tissues producing maximum suction. In
our office, the impression is scheduled for first thing in the
morning. The patient goes home without the denture, but returns
later the same day (usually early afternoon) for the insert (fitting
appointment).
Soft reline
Occasionally, a patient finds that he
cannot wear the denture because his gums are too tender, and he
keeps getting sore spots. In cases where the patient is unable to
wear ordinary dentures because of tender gums, the denture can be
relined with a material that remains somewhat pliable for a year or
two before it needs replacement. The consistency of this material
can range from waxy to hard rubber, and is generally less likely to
give the patient sore spots than ordinary pink acrylic.
Unfortunately, by the time that a
patient resorts to a soft reline material to make the denture
wearable, it usually means that factors other than simple sore spots
are partly to blame for the difficulties that the patient is
experiencing wearing the dentures. These could include an
overbuilt denture or a
resorbed ridge which is so unstable
that the patient must keep constant force on the teeth to keep them
in place. Both of these conditions can be corrected, sometimes with
less expensive simple
surgery or sometimes with much more
expensive
implant retained dentures.
Temporary relines (Therapeutic
relines)
Frequently, by the time a patient
with an old denture finally shows up at the dentist's office looking
for a new denture, the dentures have not been serviced for such a
long time that the gums are in terrible condition. They may be red,
swollen and quite misshapen. Relining the old denture, or building
a new one using impressions taken while the gums are in such poor
condition would lead to a denture that would simply perpetuate the
problem with the new appliance.
When faced with situations like this,
a dentist will frequently resort to a temporary, or palliative
(medicated) reline material to allow the inflammation to subside.
This reline makes the denture fit much more tightly, and is usually
soft and pliable. It will not last more than a few months, but the
patient wears it for a few weeks until the gums return to a more
normal state. After this happens, then the patient is ready for his
new denture or
hard reline.
Cleaning your dentures
It is not wise not wear your dentures all day long
without giving your gums at least two hours per day to recuperate.
If you do, it causes rapid loss of the underlying bony support and
its replacement with soft flabby tissue which causes your denture to
become unstable. (This is a serious issue and you should
read about it here.) Leaving them out overnight is the
best plan.
You also need to clean and deodorize your dentures
at least once a day to avoid serious denture breath (ask the
grandkids). Leaving your dentures out overnight and getting into a
routine of denture hygiene is the best plan. You can soak them in a
commercial denture cleaner, but you can really do a better job and
keep them fresher by following these directions:
-
Brush the dentures thoroughly with a soft
brush and plain dish detergent. Never use toothpaste or
an abrasive powder. Denture teeth are made out of multiple
layers of different colored acrylic to make them look more
natural, and scrubbing them with abrasive powders like Comet or
Babbo or using hard abrasive brushes will remove layers of the
plastic making them look dead and eventually turning them into
flat blocks of plastic. Plain dish detergent will work as well
as any other cleaner.
-
Soak them overnight in a dilute solution of
laundry bleach. A tablespoon of bleach in 6-8 ounces of water
is more than strong enough to remove stains, disinfect and
thoroughly deodorize them. Just rinse them off in the morning
with copious water before inserting them in your mouth. If you
keep them in a covered container, you only need to change the
solution once a week. You will be quite surprised at how much
better they smell throughout the day.
|
