When your dentures become loose, uncomfortable, or damaged, professional reline and repair services restore their fit and function. At Dental Sedation Ottawa, we provide expert denture services to keep your smile comfortable and confident—helping you get the most life out of your investment.
Denture relines and repairs are maintenance procedures that extend the functional life of your dentures. Think of a reline as refitting your denture's inner surface to match how your gums have changed shape, while repairs fix broken, cracked, or damaged dentures.
Even the best-fitted dentures don't last forever. Your jawbone and gums naturally change shape over time—a process called resorption. After tooth loss, bone gradually shrinks, causing dentures that once fit perfectly to become loose. Relines compensate for these changes by adding new material to the denture's tissue side, restoring proper fit without replacing the entire denture.
Repairs address accidental damage. Dentures can crack, break, lose teeth, or have clasps break from normal wear and tear or accidents. Professional repairs restore function and appearance, often in just one day for many types of damage.
At our Ottawa dental clinic, we provide comprehensive denture care services including relines, repairs, and professional cleaning. Our experienced denturist works closely with our dental team to ensure your dentures function optimally and comfortably.
While relines and repairs typically don't require sedation since they're performed on the denture (not in your mouth), we offer sedation options if you need dental work done simultaneously:
If your reline requires soft tissue procedures or you need extractions along with denture work, we offer full sedation options from nitrous oxide through general anesthesia administered by board-certified medical anesthesiologists (Dr. Hesham Talab, MD MSc PhD FRCPC FASE and Dr. Asad Mirghassemi, MD MSc FRCPC). Learn about sedation options
Dentures gradually become loose as your bone and gums change shape. Most dentures need relining every 2-3 years to maintain proper fit. Waiting too long causes multiple problems that worsen over time.
Loose dentures don't just feel uncomfortable—they accelerate bone loss. Poorly fitting dentures rock and move, creating uneven pressure that actually speeds up bone resorption. This creates a vicious cycle: loose fit causes faster bone loss, which makes fit even worse. Regular relines slow this process and protect remaining bone structure.
Poor fit also affects nutrition. Patients with loose dentures often avoid healthy foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and proteins because they're too difficult to chew. This leads to nutritional deficiencies and health problems.
This is the most common type. We add a layer of hard acrylic to the tissue side of your denture, taking new impressions of your gums to ensure perfect fit. Hard relines are done in a dental laboratory, typically requiring leaving your denture for 1-2 days. They last 2-3 years before another reline is needed. This is the gold standard for denture maintenance.
A cushiony, pliable material is added to the denture's tissue side instead of hard acrylic. Soft relines are more comfortable for patients with very sore or sensitive gums, or those with severe bone loss. The soft material acts like a shock absorber. However, soft materials break down faster—typically lasting 1-2 years—and harbor more bacteria, requiring meticulous cleaning. They cost slightly more than hard relines.
We can perform quick relines in the office using temporary materials while you wait. These improve fit immediately but only last a few months. They're useful when you need immediate relief but can't be without your denture for the day or two required for a laboratory reline. Eventually, a permanent hard reline becomes necessary.
Dentures can break cleanly in half or develop cracks from being dropped, sat on, or from gradual stress. Most breaks can be repaired by bonding the pieces back together with strong acrylic. Simple breaks are often fixed the same day. Complex fractures might take 1-2 days and may require reinforcement with metal mesh.
If a denture tooth breaks off or pops out, we can replace it. The new tooth is matched to the color and size of your other teeth, then bonded permanently into the denture. This repair typically takes 1-2 days as the tooth needs to be properly positioned and bonded.
Metal clasps on partial dentures can bend, break, or loosen over time. We can often repair or replace broken clasps, though complex clasp issues might require remaking part of the partial framework. This repair usually takes several days as it may require laboratory work.
Chips, cracks, or rough areas in the pink acrylic base can usually be repaired or smoothed. Extensive base damage might indicate the denture needs replacement rather than repair.
When Repairs Aren't Enough: If a denture has been repaired multiple times, has extensive damage, or is more than 7-8 years old, replacement is usually more cost-effective than continued repairs. Repeated repairs weaken dentures and rarely restore optimal function.
Have questions? We'd love to hear from you.
We examine your dentures and mouth, checking fit, wear patterns, and overall condition. If a reline is appropriate, we take new impressions with your denture in place to capture the current shape of your gums. Your denture goes to the laboratory.
Hard relines typically take 1-2 business days. You'll be without your denture during this time. We can sometimes provide temporary relines or temporary dentures if being without teeth is problematic for work or social obligations.
Your relined denture returns from the lab. We insert it, check fit and bite, and make minor adjustments if needed. The denture should feel snug—almost like new dentures again. An adjustment period of a few days is normal as you adapt to the improved fit.
We understand being without dentures creates significant problems. We make every effort to accommodate emergency repairs the same day when possible. Call us immediately if your denture breaks.
After a reline, care for your dentures exactly as before:
The relined surface doesn't require special care—treat it like the rest of your denture. Proper care helps your reline last its full 2-3 year lifespan.
Even after relining, continue to monitor fit. If looseness returns within a few months, contact us—this might indicate other issues requiring attention. Well-fitted dentures should remain comfortable and stable for 2-3 years before the next reline.
Most denture damage is preventable with proper handling:
Six-month checkups allow us to catch small problems before they become big ones. We check for early signs of wear, cracks, or fit problems. Professional cleaning removes deposits you can't remove at home.
| Hard (permanent) reline | $350-$500 per denture |
| Soft reline | $400-$600 per denture |
| Temporary reline | $150-$250 per denture |
| Simple breaks | $150-$250 |
| Complex fractures | $250-$400 |
| Tooth replacement | $100-$200 per tooth |
| Clasp repair | $150-$300 |
Most dental insurance covers relines at 50% once every 2-3 years and repairs at 50-80% as needed. We provide direct billing to major insurers and accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
When you compare reline and repair costs to new dentures ($1,500-$3,500), maintaining your existing dentures through timely relines and repairs makes excellent financial sense.
Our patients consistently rate us 5 stars for gentle, anxiety-free care. Read verified patient experiences on Google.
View All Reviews on GoogleDentist Referrals Welcome: We collaborate with referring dentists throughout Ottawa and Eastern Ontario for denture services. Learn about our referral program
We welcome patients from throughout Ottawa including Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Stittsville, Manotick, and Greely, as well as Eastern Ontario communities (Rockland, Embrun, Russell, Winchester, Kemptville, Carleton Place, Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Cornwall, Hawkesbury) and West Quebec (Gatineau, Aylmer, Hull, Chelsea, Wakefield, Buckingham).
