Denture Repair and Relines

A cracked denture, a tooth that has come off, or a denture that slides can usually be handled quickly. Pearl32 Dentistry and Wellness in Laguna Hills repairs and relines dentures, and we hold same day emergency slots Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Some repairs are done in the office on the same day. Some go to the laboratory overnight. A repair buys time. After five to ten years, a denture usually needs replacing rather than another patch.

What can be repaired the same day?

A clean break across an acrylic denture, a tooth that has popped off and a broken clasp are the three we see most. If you bring all the pieces and they fit back together, many of these are bonded and reinforced in the office within a few hours. We hold same day emergency slots Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, so call (949) 830-0074 early in the day. Bring the denture dry, in a bag, with every fragment, including the small ones.

Why has my denture gone loose?

The ridge underneath has changed shape. Bone that no longer holds teeth shrinks steadily, quickly in the first year after extractions and slowly for the rest of your life. The denture stays the same shape while the gum recedes away from it, so the fit opens up and food gets underneath. A loose denture also rocks, and rocking creates sore spots and speeds the bone loss further. Adhesive hides the problem for a while. A reline corrects it.

Soft reline, hard reline or rebase?

What each one does

A hard reline adds a new layer of acrylic to the fitting surface so the denture meets the ridge again. It is the usual choice and lasts two to three years. A soft reline uses a cushioned material for sore, thin or recently operated gums, and it is replaced more often, roughly once a year. A rebase keeps your denture teeth and replaces all the acrylic base around them, which suits a denture with good teeth and a stained or cracked base. Most relines are sent to the laboratory and returned the next day.

When should a denture be replaced?

Usually at five to ten years. The acrylic teeth wear flat, which drops the bite height and changes the face. The base has often been relined twice. The ridge no longer matches the original design.

We will tell you which of the two you are looking at. If your denture is repairable and the fit can be restored, we repair it. If it is not, we say so and plan the replacement, including whether implant supported dentures are worth considering for a lower denture that keeps moving.

Why not fix it with household glue?

Because it makes the repair harder and it is not safe in the mouth. Superglue and epoxy are not food safe, they craze the acrylic, and they set the two halves slightly out of line. A denture glued out of line no longer fits the ridge, and we then have to grind the glue away, which removes material we needed. Many home repairs turn a one visit fix into a remake. Keep the pieces dry, do not test them in your mouth, and let us bond it properly.

What does a repair or reline cost?

We do not publish prices for repairs or relines. A single tooth added back to a partial and a full rebase are different jobs. Your cost is quoted in writing, itemized, after an examination, and for a simple repair we can give you that number the same morning.

We are in network with most major PPO plans and Delta Dental HMO, and many plans cover a reline after a waiting period. Third party financing is available and the practice is not the creditor, through CareCredit, Cherry, Sunbit and Happen Bank (formerly LendingClub). See financing or contact us.

Questions people ask about denture Repair and Relines

How long will I be without my denture?

For an in office repair, a few hours on the same day. For a laboratory reline or rebase, usually one working day, and we try to take the denture in the morning and return it the next afternoon. If you cannot be without it at all, tell us when you call. We can often schedule the work around a day you are at home.

My denture rubs and I have a sore spot. What do I do?

Leave it out for a few hours if it is painful, but put it back in on the day you come to see us, so the sore spot shows clearly. We mark the denture, relieve the exact point and smooth it. Sore spots from a new denture settle within a couple of weeks. A sore spot on an old denture usually means the fit has changed and a reline is due.

Can a broken denture be repaired more than once?

Yes, but a denture that keeps breaking in the same place is telling you something. A repeated crack down the middle usually means the fit is uneven and the denture flexes every time you bite. We reline it or add a metal reinforcement during the repair. After three breaks in the same spot, a remake is usually the sensible move.

Do you repair dentures made somewhere else?

Yes. Most repairs and relines do not depend on who made the denture. We examine the ridges, the bite and the acrylic first, then tell you whether the denture is worth repairing. If it was made recently elsewhere and the fit is poor, we will say that too, and explain what we would do differently.

Is a reline done while I wait?

Rarely. A chairside soft reline can be done in one visit when the gum needs cushioning quickly. Hard relines and rebases go to the laboratory, because the acrylic is cured under heat and pressure, which makes the result stronger and more accurate than anything set in the mouth. We take the impression inside your own denture, so the record matches your ridge.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. What is right for you can only be decided after an examination.