Hard Denture Reline FAQs:

A hard denture reline is the process of adding new baseplate material to the inside surface of an existing denture in order to improve the denture’s intimate contact with the underlying hard and soft tissue. Denture acrylic or denture resin are the usual complete denture hard reline materials. The goal of a hard reline is to create denture stability and reduce sore spots while improving the suction, fit, and chewing ability. When used with the correct indications, a hard denture reline can increase the lifespan of an existing denture for years.

Hard Relines versus Soft Relines: What’s the real Difference?

Compared with soft relines, hard relines generally last longer and require no special home care. The average lifespan of a lab-processed hard reline is two years or longer. A lab-processed hard reline will also last longer than a similar chairside reline. Replacement is only necessary if the tissue changes appreciably and the denture no longer fits as well as it once did.

How to Care for Dentures with a Hard Reline

Treat the hard-relined denture as a new denture. Using a denture brush, brush the denture over a sink of standing water using either liquid soap or a denture polishing cream. Avoid using toothpaste made for natural teeth because it will scratch and wear the denture with time. Effervescent denture cleansers may be used as a supplement to brushing for improved denture freshness.

How do you perform a hard reline? First, determine whether a reline will help your patient. Then help your dental laboratory achieve the best results possible by obtaining the records they need to make the process run smoothly. Included here is a denture reline impression technique:

• Examine the bite, midline, and lip position with the existing dentures in place.
• Remove any deep undercuts that would prevent the dentures from being separated from a model.
• Adjust borders that are impinging on soft tissue.
• Work on one denture at a time, using the opposing denture to maintain the proper occlusion.
• Roughen the borders and the tissue side of the denture being relined with an acrylic bur.
• Create three tissue stops with modeling compound or heavy-body polyvinyl siloxane (one in the anterior and two in the second molar areas) to maintain the correct vertical dimension of occlusion (VOD).
• Insert the denture with warm compound or polyvinyl siloxane in place and have the patient bite into maximum intercuspation. Allow the material to set. Then remove the denture from the mouth.
• Adjust the tissue stops to remove any undercuts. Reinsert and check for stability, proper occlusion, and position as it relates to the anatomy and facial features.
• If the borders of the denture are short or inaccurate, border mold the denture in the mouth using compound or rope wax to extend the borders.
• Try the denture back into the mouth. Be certain the denture is fully seated and resting on the tissue stops. The denture must fit passively with the patient in occlusion.
• Dry the denture.
• Apply impression adhesive to the intaglio surface and borders.
• Add medium-body polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impression material to evenly coat the inside of the denture and borders. Do not overfill.
• Align the denture and fully seat it until the denture rests entirely on the tissue stops.
• Have the patient close into maximum intercuspation.
• Check that the midline is in the correct position.
• Verify that the lip position is the same as it was at the initial examination.
• If the appearance or bite is not the same as what you observed at the initial examination in every way, allow the impression material to set completely, remove it, and start over.
• After the impression material has fully set, remove the denture from the mouth and trim away any excess impression material.
• Reinsert the denture with the impression.
• Repeat the process with the opposing denture.

Send the impressions with your written laboratory prescription for a hard reline to Stomadent Dental Laboratory for processing. Include any information about the baseplate material used to make the original denture, if available. This is especially important for dentures made from special resins, such as Eclipse.