General Dentistry · Last reviewed May 2026
Loose, Cracked or Worn Denture? Often Same-Day
Repair or Reline.
Picasso Dental repairs and relines existing dentures in Vietnam: same-day chairside soft relines, laboratory hard relines, and a full range of simple repairs. Many issues we can resolve in a single visit. Bringing a denture back to a comfortable fit costs a fraction of a new one, and we will tell you honestly when a reline is enough and when it is not.
Why Dentures Need Relining
The bone underneath a denture continues to shrink (resorb) over years because there is no tooth root left to stimulate it. The denture eventually no longer fits the new gum shape, it feels loose, rocks when you chew, and traps food underneath. A reline replaces the inside fitting surface of the denture without remaking the whole thing, which is why it costs a fraction of a new denture and usually fixes the problem cleanly.
Reline vs Repair vs Replace
Five options for an existing denture, ranging from a same-day fix to a full remake. We pick the right tool after a clinical assessment, not before.
| Service | When | Visits | Restores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair | Cracked base, broken tooth, lost clasp | 1 | Original function |
| Soft reline (chairside) | Mild looseness, sore spots | 1 (same-day) | Comfortable fit, short-term |
| Hard reline (laboratory) | Significant looseness, want long-term | 2 (1-week turnaround) | Comfortable fit, long-term |
| Rebase | Worn-out base material, teeth still good | 2 | Whole base renewed |
| New denture | Reline cannot fix, denture aged out (5 to 7+ years) | 3–4 | New denture |
Pricing for each service is on our cost guide. Need a new denture instead? See complete and partial dentures.
Why Picasso for Denture Repair
Senior General Dentists
Repairs and relines are handled by senior general dentists experienced in removable prosthodontics, not delegated to junior staff. Small adjustments make a large difference in how a denture feels day to day.
In-House Lab Coordination
Direct relationships with our laboratory partner mean fast turnaround on hard relines, rebases, and complex repairs that need a lab step. Most lab-based work returns within one week.
Often Same-Day for Repairs
Simple cracks, knocked-out teeth and accessible clasp repairs are usually completed in a single chairside visit. Useful for travelling patients on a tight schedule, or anyone who broke a denture this morning.
Transparent Assessment
If a reline will not solve the underlying problem, we say so before you pay for one. Multiple repairs in the past year, severely worn teeth, or aged acrylic point to a remake, and we explain why.
Cost-Conscious Approach
We do not sell a new denture when a reline will work. The reline-versus-replace decision is made on clinical grounds, not on what is more profitable for the clinic. Quoted in writing before any work starts.
Service Dentures We Did Not Make
You do not need to be an existing Picasso patient. We routinely repair and reline dentures originally made elsewhere in Vietnam or abroad, where the existing prosthesis is salvageable.
Repair and Reline Pricing
Per-service pricing for repairs (simple repair, replace clasp, add tooth), relines (soft chairside, hard laboratory, full rebase) and new dentures (full or partial) is published on our cost guide. Pricing is itemised in your written quote after clinical assessment.
For implant-retained options that end the reline cycle, see implant-supported overdentures or All-on-4.
Common Repair Scenarios
The everyday breakages and fit problems we resolve. Most are simpler than they look the morning a denture cracks in half.
Crack Across the Midline (Full Denture)
A clean fracture across an upper or lower full denture is repairable same-day in most cases. The two halves are aligned, bonded with repair acrylic, finished and polished. Bring in any small fragments that broke off.
Tooth Knocked Out
A denture tooth that has popped off or been knocked out is re-bonded to the acrylic base, usually same-day if the fragment fits cleanly. If the tooth is lost, we set a matching replacement.
Lost or Broken Clasp on a Partial
Replaced same-day or within roughly one week depending on access and whether the clasp is on a metal or acrylic frame. A persistently bending clasp is a sign the partial may need rethinking, not just replacing.
Worn-Down Teeth on a Denture
Replaced individually if isolated, or addressed by a full base reline plus tooth replacement if generalised. Worn flat teeth often signal it is time for a new denture, we will say so honestly.
Sore Spots from Poor Fit
Localised pressure points are relieved with a chairside adjustment. If sore spots keep returning, the underlying fit has drifted and a reline is the right answer rather than repeated grinding of the base.
Loose Denture Rocks When Chewing
A clear sign that the fitting surface no longer matches your gums. A hard laboratory reline is usually the correct fix, restoring comfortable fit for 3 years before further bone change requires another.
When We Recommend a New Denture Instead
Honest signs that a reline or repair is no longer the right tool. Spending to delay the inevitable by six months is not a service to you.
Denture Is More Than 10 Years Old
Acrylic embrittles over time. An older denture may crack again soon after a successful repair, simply because the material has fatigued. Past a decade, a new denture is usually the more economical answer.
Multiple Repairs in the Past 12 Months
If a denture has fractured two or three times in a year, the structural integrity is gone. Further repairs become a false economy. A new denture, possibly with a metal-reinforced base, is the correct decision.
Bite Has Dropped Significantly
Years of wear can shorten the vertical dimension of the bite, so the chin sits closer to the nose and the smile collapses inward. This is not fixable by reline or repair, the entire occlusion needs to be rebuilt.
Teeth on the Denture Are Worn Flat
Flat denture teeth no longer chew efficiently and look aged. Replacing a few teeth helps; replacing most of them is more expensive than a remake, so a new denture is the right call.
Significant Weight Change
Major weight gain or loss alters facial structure and can leave a previously well-fitting denture looking and feeling wrong. A reline restores fit; only a remake can restore aesthetics.
Considering an Implant-Retained Upgrade
If you are tired of looseness and the reline cycle, the right next step may be 4 implants converting your denture to an implant-retained overdenture, or fixed All-on-4 teeth. See our dentures page for the comparison.
How a Hard Reline Works
Five steps from initial assessment to final delivery. A chairside soft reline collapses steps 4 into a single visit.
Assessment
Examination of denture fit, soft tissues, occlusion and the base itself. We confirm a reline is the right tool and identify any other issues to address at the same time.
Visit 1 · 20 minSoft Impression Material
A precise soft impression material is added inside the denture to capture the current shape of your gum ridge against the existing base.
Visit 1Bite in Resting Position
You bite in your natural resting position so the reline records both the ridge contour and the correct vertical relationship with the opposing arch.
Visit 1Sent to Laboratory
The denture and impression are sent to the lab. The inner surface is replaced in rigid acrylic to match the recorded ridge and bite. Typical turnaround is one week.
Lab · 1 weekDelivery + Fit Check
Reline returned, fit checked, occlusion verified, pressure points relieved. Aftercare instructions provided. Return for adjustment if any new sore spot appears.
Visit 2 · 30 minLiving With Your Repaired Denture
A repair or reline does not change daily care, but does change how to monitor for the next adjustment.
Same Daily Cleaning Routine
Brush morning and night with a soft denture brush and non-abrasive denture cleanser. Regular toothpaste is too abrasive on acrylic over time. Brush gums, tongue and palate twice daily even when wearing a complete denture.
Remove at Night
Soft tissues benefit from rest from the denture overnight. Plaque control improves and denture stomatitis (yeast infection under the denture) is less common. Soak overnight in water with a denture-cleaning tablet.
Return for Adjustment if a New Sore Spot Appears
A small adjustment within the first weeks of a reline is normal. Persistent or recurring sore spots are not, see us back rather than living with discomfort or trying to grind the denture down at home.
Monitor for Further Looseness
Bone continues to shrink slowly even with a fresh reline. Expect the next reline in roughly 3 years. Annual check-ups let us catch fit drift early before it causes sore spots or chewing problems.
What We Cannot Repair
Honest limits on what a repair or reline can achieve. If your case falls into one of these, we will say so up front and discuss the right alternative.
Very Old Denture with Degraded Acrylic
Acrylic that has embrittled over a decade or more will fracture again soon after repair. The repair itself succeeds; the surrounding base fails next. A new denture is the correct decision in this case.
Multiple Fractures Across the Same Denture
If the denture has cracked in two or three different places, structural failure is occurring and a single repair will not last. A new denture, possibly with a metal-reinforced base for heavy bites, is the right answer.
Bone Loss Too Severe for Any Conventional Fit
Some patients have so much alveolar resorption that no reline will achieve real stability, the lower denture in particular floats. The honest answer is an implant-retained overdenture ( 4 implants) rather than chasing fit with another reline.
Damage Caused by Over-the-Counter Reline Kits
DIY reline kits often harden incorrectly, change the bite and bond unevenly to the denture base. We can sometimes grind the failed material out and reline correctly, but where the base is permanently damaged a remake is the safer route.
Your Repair and Reline Team
Senior general dentists who service dentures every week, supported by our Founding Clinical Director.
Dr. Thao Tran
General Dentist. Denture relines, denture repair, denture adjustments, bite registration. Routine repair and reline cases at Picasso.
Dr. Nhung Duong
General Dentist. Removable prosthodontics, denture relines, denture repair, Biosoft flexible dentures. Complex partial denture repairs and rebases.
Dr. Emily Nguyen
Founding Clinical Director. Sets clinical standards for case selection, surgical protocols and prosthetic delivery group-wide, including the reline-versus-replace decision threshold.
Common Questions
How often should I reline my denture?
Most denture wearers need a reline every 3 years, because the alveolar ridge underneath the denture continues to shrink slowly after teeth are lost. The denture itself does not change shape, so the fit drifts out gradually. We assess fit at every recall visit and reline only when clinically needed.
Can I use an over-the-counter reline kit at home?
We do not recommend it. Over-the-counter kits harden incorrectly inside the denture, change the bite, can damage the denture base permanently, and often need to be ground out and redone professionally at higher cost. A chairside soft reline at Picasso is done correctly the first time. See our cost guide for current pricing.
Can I get a same-day denture repair?
In most cases yes. Simple cracks, knocked-out teeth and lost clasps on accessible parts of the denture can usually be repaired chairside on the same day. More complex repairs that need a laboratory step (full rebase, hard reline, hidden clasp on a partial) take roughly one week.
Can you fix a denture I bought from another clinic?
Yes. We service dentures we did not make, where the existing prosthesis is salvageable. We will assess honestly and tell you when a repair or reline will hold, versus when a new denture is the better long-term answer.
Will the colour of the repair match the rest of my denture?
For most acrylic dentures, repaired areas blend well because we shade-match the repair acrylic and tooth replacements. Older dentures may have darkened with age, in which case the repair area can look slightly fresher. We discuss this honestly before starting work.
How do I know if I need a reline or a new denture?
A reline restores the inside fitting surface only. If the teeth on the denture are still good, the bite is still correct, and the base is structurally sound, a reline is usually the right tool. A new denture is needed when the acrylic has become brittle (typically beyond 10 years), the teeth are worn flat, the bite has dropped, or you have had multiple repairs in the past year.
Can a broken tooth on my denture be replaced?
Yes. Adding or replacing an acrylic tooth on a denture is priced per tooth depending on access and how many teeth, see our cost guide. A knocked-out tooth that you bring in with the denture can often be re-bonded the same day if the fragment fits cleanly.
How long does a hard reline last?
A hard laboratory reline typically restores comfortable fit for 3 years before further bone change requires another reline. Lifespan varies with how much your ridge resorbs, which is influenced by age, time since extractions, and general health.
Why does my denture keep getting loose?
Because the bone underneath continues to shrink. Without a tooth root to stimulate it, alveolar bone resorbs continuously after teeth are lost, the denture sits on a foundation that is slowly getting smaller. This is the central long-term tradeoff of conventional dentures and the reason relines are needed periodically. Implant-retained options dramatically slow this resorption.
What about implant retention instead of repeated relines?
Adding 2 to 4 implants and converting to a locator or bar overdenture transforms denture stability and chewing efficiency, and largely ends the reline cycle. For full-arch fixed teeth, All-on-4 is the next step up. Pricing for both options is on our implant cost guide. We present both honestly during your assessment.
Start Here
Bring Your Denture In.
We'll Tell You Honestly What It Needs.
Book a free assessment. We will examine your denture and gums, identify whether a repair, reline, rebase or new denture is the right answer, and quote you in writing before any work begins. Many repairs are completed the same day.