A denture liner is a thin layer of rubbery or plastic material that is added to a denture to improve fit. The denture liners cover the inside of a denture. Denture liners are used if the gums shrink slightly and the dentures no longer fit securely. The gums of denture wearers do tend to shrink over time, so loose-fitting dentures is a common problem.
When a denture becomes loose, the denture wearer may have difficulty eating and speaking. One option to fix loose dentures is to use a denture adhesive. Many people who wear dentures do not like to have to use adhesive everyday due to cleaning it off the denture and the texture of the denture adhesive paste or powder.
Using a denture liner to reshape the denture is an alternative to adhesives. Denture liners are moldable films that can be shaped to fit securely to the gums. Denture liner kits contain the necessary materials to create a denture liner at home. To make a denture liner with a denture liner kit, the person cuts or tears the denture lining film to the shape of the denture. When the person inserts the denture and bites down, the denture liner assumes the shape of the gums.
The denture liner is designed to last only a few weeks. Like dentures, the denture liner can trap bacteria is not cleaned. However, denture liners require careful cleaning so that the liner isn’t damaged. The manufacturer’s instructions may say that the denture should not be soaked in denture cleaner.
Some users say that removing the denture liner is difficult. Denture wearers need to be careful not to damage the denture while removing the denture liner. Some users wear gloves while removing the denture lining material due to the buildup of bacteria. After the denture liner is removed, the denture can be brushed and put into a denture cleaner with water.
Dentists often recommend that ill-fitting dentures be reshaped with a soft reline or hard reline at the dentist office or denture retailer. A denture liner might be considered a temporary solution to fix loose dentures until the denture wearer can get the dentures relined by a dental professional.
