Sometimes there’s just no getting around it. While most people are okay with traditional dentures created with a hard, acrylic base, there are some clients who regardless of tweaks and changes made to the fit, still experience discomfort.

When your dentures are made it’s as we said, traditionally with a hard material. This hard acrylic base actually works better for most people but there are times a soft liner might be your best option.

Why discomfort?

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Often times your dentures don’t feel right or are uncomfortable because of the distribution of your bite. It’s not aligning in the place where your previous,natural teeth were. It’s what we refer to as the residual ridge. The residual ridge is the area where bone and soft tissue come together to meet your new denture. When this area shrinks or is altered (due to time and inevitable changes in your bone structure) it impacts the bite force and this adds stress which results in irritation, sores and overall an uncomfortable experience.

When you use soft liners together with your dentures, it bonds to the base of the denture and cushions your bite. It acts as a shock absorber, taking the brunt of the impact and alleviating stress on the residual ridge, your gums and overall your entire mouth.

Can you relate to any of these?

⁃                  Does it feel like your jawbone is flat and your dentures feel loose?

⁃                  Does your jawbone feel uneven, jagged or sharp?

⁃                  Are you gums always inflamed?

⁃                  Do you experience continuous sore spots?

⁃                  Are you finding it hard to chew?

If you fall into any of these categories a soft liner might just be the fix you’re looking for.

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Types of Soft Liners

Soft liners fall into one of two categories of materials:

Plasticized acrylic resins:
The main benefit with these liners lies in their softness. That said they are designed for short-term use and usually have a lifespan of three to six months.Plasticized acrylic resin lines are typically used if you’re a first time denture wearer because they’re a great option for clients who’ve recently had teeth extracted or you’ve had implant surgery.

Silicone elastomers:
Silicone liners aren’t as soft as plasticized acrylic resins but the advantage is they are a lot more durable and in most cases will last a year or more. Most times we’ll go this route if your soft tissue is flattened or thin.

Benefits of soft liners:

•      Reduces direct pressure to your soft tissue.

•      Improves the stability and comfort factor of your denture.

•      By compressing the changing jaw structure, it can help slow gum shrinkage.

•      Adds support to your jaw which improves the stability of your bite.

Helps distribute the bite force evenly which mitigates pressure on your gums