A denture reline resurfaces the fitting surface of an existing denture so it seats accurately against gum and bone that have changed since the appliance was made. This guide covers what we do at the bench: soft reline versus hard reline, fracture and tooth-loss repairs, adding teeth to a partial, realistic turnaround, and exactly what to send us so the case comes back right the first time.
Relines, repairs and additions are the steady backbone of a removable workflow, and they are where a reliable bench partner saves you chair time. We handle them as part of our denture lab for dentists, alongside new complete and partial work.
Reline, Rebase, Repair or Addition: Which Job Is It
The four removable jobs sound similar to patients but are different bench procedures with different costs and turnaround. Sorting the case correctly before you take an impression avoids a remake later.
- Reline: we replace the tissue side of the base with fresh material so it fits the current ridge. The teeth and the polished surface stay as they are.
- Rebase: we replace the entire denture base and keep only the existing teeth. Used when the acrylic is discoloured, porous or has had multiple previous relines.
- Repair: we rejoin a fractured base, replace a debonded or fractured tooth, or mend a broken clasp.
- Addition: we add one or more teeth, or a clasp, to an existing partial after a further extraction.
If the ridge has resorbed but the appliance is otherwise sound, a reline is usually the right call. If the base itself is failing, quote a rebase or a new denture instead.
Soft Reline vs Hard Reline
Both a soft reline and a hard reline restore the fit. The choice comes down to the state of the underlying tissue and how long you need the result to last. We process either from a wash impression taken in the existing denture.
- Hard reline: a heat or cold cured acrylic that becomes a permanent part of the base. It is the durable option for a healthy, settled ridge and is what most fully healed cases need.
- Soft reline: a resilient liner that cushions a thin, atrophic or tender ridge and spreads load away from sore spots. It is also the choice over prominent mylohyoid ridges or bony undercuts.
- Temporary or tissue conditioner: a short term soft material used while inflamed tissue settles after extractions, before a definitive reline or a new denture.
Soft liners are comfortable but wear and colonise faster than acrylic, so set the patient’s expectation that a soft reline is replaced more often than a hard one. Tell us which you want on the lab ticket; if you are unsure, send the case notes and we will advise.
When a Reline Is the Right Answer
Ridges resorb continuously, fastest in the first year after extractions and steadily thereafter. A denture that fitted well at fit appointment loosens as the bone beneath it shrinks. The classic signs that point to a reline rather than a repair or a remake are below.
- The denture rocks or slips when the patient eats or speaks.
- New sore spots appear where none were before.
- Food packs under the base.
- The patient has started relying on more adhesive than usual.
- Fit has changed after notable weight loss or a period of illness.
If the occlusion has also collapsed or the teeth are heavily worn, a reline alone will not fix it. At that point quote a new complete denture.
Repairs: Fractures, Debonded Teeth and Clasps
Most repairs reach us in one of three forms: a base fractured down the midline, a tooth that has debonded or sheared off, or a fractured or fatigued clasp on a partial. We rejoin and reinforce on a cast poured from the pieces, so the more of the appliance you send, the better the result.
- Midline base fracture: send all the fragments. A clean break that has not been glued reseats accurately and the repair holds. Repeated fractures in the same place point to a flexure or occlusion problem worth investigating.
- Debonded or fractured tooth: send the tooth if you have it and note the shade and mould. We match from our stock if it is lost.
- Fractured clasp: we replace the clasp on a partial; for repeated cobalt chrome clasp failures a redesign or a flexible alternative may serve the patient better.
Do not let the patient attempt a home repair with shop glue before sending the case. Cyanoacrylate on the fracture surfaces prevents an accurate reseat and often turns a quick repair into a remake.
Adding Teeth and Clasps to an Existing Partial
When a patient loses a further tooth, adding to their current partial is faster and cheaper than a new appliance, and it keeps them in something familiar. We add an acrylic tooth, and a clasp where the new saddle needs retention, on a cast taken from an impression of the mouth with the partial seated.
- Send: the partial, an impression that captures the new edentulous space with the denture in place, and an opposing model or bite if the addition affects the occlusion.
- Note: the tooth shade and mould so the addition blends with the existing teeth.
Additions suit acrylic and cobalt chrome partials. For a flexible nylon partial the addition behaves differently, so flag it as flexible on the ticket and we will handle it accordingly. If the patient is heading toward a long span, it can be worth discussing a flexible nylon partial rather than repeatedly adding to an ageing base.
What to Send Us
A reline, repair or addition is only as good as the impression and the notes that come with it. The fewer assumptions we have to make at the bench, the more likely the case fits at the first try in.
- Reline: a wash impression taken inside the existing denture with the border seating, plus the denture itself. Note soft, hard or temporary.
- Repair: all fragments, unglued, and any debonded teeth. Note the shade if a tooth needs matching.
- Addition: the partial, an impression with it seated, and an opposing record if occlusion is affected.
- Digital: intraoral scans are welcome from 3Shape, Medit, iTero and Dexis. For a reline a physical wash impression is still usually the more reliable record of the fitting surface.
When in doubt, send case notes with the work. A short line about why the denture is failing helps us pick the right material and flag a remake if a reline will not save it.
Turnaround and Planning the Appointment
Relines, repairs and additions are quicker than new dentures, but they still need bench time to process and finish properly. Plan the patient’s return visit around the work rather than promising same day, which a chairside soft material can do but a lab cured hard reline cannot.
- Simple repairs: fast to turn around once the case reaches us.
- Relines and additions: longer, because the material is processed and the appliance refinished and polished.
- New complete or partial work: around ten working days, the same as our crown and bridge cases.
We will give you a firm date when the case is booked in so you can schedule the try in or fit with confidence. We would rather quote an honest timeline than rush a reline and have it back as a remake.
Sending a Case to Flora
Flora Dental Lab is a UK lab supplying UK practices, accredited to DAMAS and the DLA and GDC registered. We cover the full removable range: relines, rebases, repairs, additions, and new complete and partial dentures, alongside crown and bridge.
Your first case is free, up to £100, with no invoice and no contract. Send us a reline, a repair or an addition, judge the fit and the finish against your current lab, and decide from there. complete and immediate dentures
We also fabricate crown and bridge, so a single lab can cover both your fixed and removable work.
What is the difference between a hard and soft denture reline?
A hard reline uses cured acrylic that becomes a permanent part of the base and is the durable choice for a healthy, settled ridge. A soft reline uses a resilient cushioning liner for thin, atrophic or tender tissue, but it wears and needs replacing more often than a hard reline. We process either from a wash impression taken in the existing denture.
Is it worth getting dentures relined?
Yes, when the appliance itself is sound but the ridge has resorbed. A reline restores fit, removes sore spots and improves stability for far less cost than a new denture. Relines are not permanent though, so most dentures need one every one to two years as the mouth keeps changing. If the base or occlusion is also failing, quote a remake instead.
Do denture reline kits really work?
Over the counter kits are a short term patient stopgap at best. They cannot capture an accurate fitting surface, can lock in a poor fit, and the material often makes a clean professional reline harder afterwards. Advise patients to bring the denture in rather than relining it at home, and send the case to us for a proper soft or hard reline.
What is the difference between a denture reline and a rebase?
A reline replaces only the tissue side of the base while keeping the rest of the acrylic and the teeth. A rebase replaces the entire base and keeps only the existing teeth, which is the better option when the acrylic is discoloured, porous or has already been relined several times. Tell us which you want or send case notes and we will advise.
Can you add a tooth to an existing partial denture?
Yes. When a patient loses a further tooth we can add an acrylic tooth, and a clasp where retention is needed, to most acrylic and cobalt chrome partials. Send the partial, an impression with it seated to capture the new space, the shade and mould, and an opposing record if the occlusion is affected. See our guide to flexible partials if a new appliance makes more sense.
Do you accept digital scans for relines and repairs, or do you fabricate crowns too?
We accept intraoral scans from 3Shape, Medit, iTero and Dexis, though for a reline a physical wash impression is usually the more reliable record of the fitting surface. We also fabricate fixed work, so the same lab can handle your crowns and bridges alongside your removable cases.
