Your Denture Softliner
What is a soft liner and why did your dentist place it in your new denture(s)?
A temporary soft liner is placed in a new or old denture in orderto (1) help improve the health of your gum tissues by absorbingsome of the pressures of mastication ( acts as a tissue conditioningmaterial ) and (2) helps to determine the maximum retention possibleby utilizing undercuts in the bone and gum which hard liners maynot be able to negotiate without causing irritation. Soft linerswill spring around these undercuts and allow for greater retentionthan hard liners might be able to produce in the same mouth. Ifwe find that temporary soft liners provide enhanced retention,we will then be able to determine if we should replace them witha more permanent type of soft liner in the future or whether ahard liner is indicated.
Important Instructions
Temporary soft liners require special care and attention in orderfor them to produce the desired results. The following suggestionsare designed to assist you in the maintenance of your new denture.
- Do not remove the prosthesis from your mouth for the first24 hours. This is extremely important ! The materialthat is placed in your denture will stay soft for the first 24hours and will shape itself to your oral tissues during thatfirst 24 hour period.
- After the first 24 hours, you may remove the denture onceevery 12 hours for the first two days. At each removal, pleaserinse the denture with warm water only. Do not use any of thecommercially available cleaners. If need be, you can brushthe tooth part of the denture (the white teeth on) with toothpasteand a soft toothbrush. The softliner is still very fragile andwill tear if subjected to chemical or mechanical cleaning
- During the next week you may remove the denture as often asyou like, still keeping in mind that the liner is fragile andmust be treated with care. The pink plastic may be brushed gently,trying to avoid the soft liner.
- If possible try not to use any denture adhesive, especiallyduring the first 72 hours. We are, once again, tryingto ascertain the amount of available retention. Using adhesiveswill only tend to confuse the issue.
- For the first 24 hours you should try to maintain a softerdiet. After that trial period, you should eat as regular a dietas possible so that the softliner can mold itself to your tissuesuntil normal function.
- We may be replacing this softliner on a regular basis until1) the tissues heal adequately or 2) we have determined that theretention for your new denture is maximized. Further instructionswill be given to you at that time.
Please be sure to bring your old dentures with you at eachrecall visit just in case your dentist determines that relining yoursoftlined denture is required. This would necessitate sendingyour denture to the laboratory.
If you have any additional questions regarding this treatmentprocess, ask your dentist.