Dental Implants: Stains, Whitenings and Other Considerations
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Dental Implants: Stains, Whitenings and Other Considerations

Dental implants can make a smile look fabulous – I know I have them. However, if you are just thinking about getting them, you may have a lot of questions. You may be wondering how smoking affects implants, whether or not wine will stain them, if they can be whitened or other concerns. I also know from experience that it can be intimidating to ask some of these questions to your dentist. In my dental implant blog, I am going to answer the questions that can be hard to ask. I hope you find the info you need in this blog and that it guides you to the right decision about dental implants. Thanks for reading!

Dental Implants: Stains, Whitenings and Other Considerations

Drawing The Line: When, Why And How To Have Your Dentures Relined

Isobel Berry

Modern dentures are made from tremendously durable materials and can take a lot of punishment compared to the more fragile models of days gone by. However, they are not invulnerable, and a combination of factors can lead to dentures losing their fit and becoming uncomfortable and difficult to use. 

If your dentures no longer fit well, you don't necessarily have to go to the effort and expense of having a whole new set of dentures fitted. Dentures that are worn but still usable can be rejuvenated in a variety of ways. One of the most common and most effective ways to repair worn dentures is with relining.

Why should I have my dentures relined?

Proper use of your dentures require that they fit well, but over time, the fitting surfaces of your dentures can be worn down by everyday tasks such as speaking and chewing. This problem is exacerbated by gum recession; the natural gums under a denture have a tendency to shrink and contract due to the pressure of the denture, and the loss of strength caused by the absence of a natural tooth. This recession can dramatically change the contours of your mouth, and cause gaps to appear between the fitting surfaces and your natural gums.

What is denture relining?

Denture relining involves renewing the fitting surface of your dentures, including the artificial gum line and the plate that fits further back in your mouth to hold the dentures in place. Depending on how much wear and tear these fitting surfaces have received, your dentures may be relined in one of two ways:

Direct relining -- This is the quickest and easiest relining method, and can be performed by your dentist while you are still in the chair. Your dentist will remove your dentures and give the fitting surfaces a thorough cleaning before using an abrasive tool to roughen the fitting surfaces slightly. This aids adhesion of the relining acrylic, which is applied to the fitting surfaces before the dentures are placed back in your mouth. The acrylic then hardens in place, while the dentist shades off any protruding flanges and sculpts the borders of the new artificial gums for a more natural appearance.

Direct relining is generally the best method for repairing mild-to-moderate wear and allows you uninterrupted use of your dentures. However, the acrylics used by your dentist to effect a direct relining are not as durable as the heat-cured materials used to create the original fitting surfaces, and direct relines may degrade over time and have to be renewed themselves.

Indirect relining -- A more involved and costly procedure used on badly worn dentures, indirect lining involves the dentist applying impression paste to the fitting surfaces of your dentures. This paste hardens to form a cast of your mouth contours, and is then replaced with durable acrylics by dental technicians.

Indirect relining provides a more durable finish but does involve losing the use of your dentures temporarily. You may be provided with temporary dentures by your dentist to compensate for this. In addition, indirect relining tends to noticeably thicken the plates and palates of dentures repaired in this way, and repeated indirect relining can cause dentures to become cumbersome and difficult to use.


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