About Soft Dentures

For those with sensitive gums, wearing their regular dentures may create a painful experience. However, all hope is not lost. Soft dentures can help those with this problem.

Soft dentures and regular dentures are actually the same thing except for their lining. The inner liner of soft dentures is made from a softer material, generally rubber or silicone, which provides more comfort and less irritation for many wearers. Soft dentures also tend to better adapt to changes in the mouth, making them less likely to need adjustment through the years.

Despite these benefits, soft dentures do have their drawbacks. Those interested will need to consider these drawbacks before making a decision. For example, owners of soft dentures will need to stay on top of cleaning. Because these dentures, due to their absorbent nature, are harder to clean, more bacteria can build up and harm your health. Recent studies show that the bacteria in your mouth can damage more than just your teeth and gums but can affect the rest of your body as well. Another drawback to soft dentures is the reduction in pain. Although this fact attracts many denture wears, it can also create problems when individuals stop noticing painful problems with their bite and, thus, fail to get these problems fixed.

Other drawbacks to soft dentures include the frequent need to replace the liner as it hardens every one to two years as well as the chance that the dentures will deform, causing greater costs in repairs than for deformed hard dentures.

Links:

ehow.com

Ehow.com offers information on the differences between soft and hard liners. The article explains how each type of denture differs from the other, why some people prefer one or the other, and gives basic information on dentures in general. It also offers information on temporary soft relines for those individuals experiencing severe denture problems.

denturist.bc.ca

The Denturist Association of British Columbia explains some of the benefits of soft denture liners. In addition to this explanation, they also give a history of soft liners--more than 20 years of research contributes to today's soft liners, and explain how to care for these dentures. Also, denture wearers are cautioned to visit their dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleaning.

doctorspiller.com

An experienced dentist, Dr. Spiller's website gives a vast array of information about dentures. This particular page on his website describes denture relines. Dr. Spiller explains that dentures need relines every two years. He then continues about the differences between hard and soft relines and explains the virtues and drawbacks of soft liners. He also describes temporary soft liners.