Flexible Dentures

Often flexible dentures are referred to as soft dentures, primarily because they solve the problem of the hard denture surface rubbing against the soft tissue in your mouth the way acrylic dentures do. In appearance, they do not seem to be soft, however, there is a soft inner lining in flexible dentures and perhaps where the term Soft Dentures comes from. Due to technological advancements in dentures, the soft denture can fit over and around your gums and teeth and is an ideal alternative to dental implants if there is not enough bone for the implants to be fitted.

With flexible dentures you are getting a good alternative to removable or fixed dentures. These partial dentures are usually used to replace a few missing teeth, perhaps from gum disease, a sporting injury or a dental infection. Valplast flexible dentures are different to standard flexible dentures in that the plate is made from a flexible plastic as opposed to the traditional acrylic options. Facial sagging can occur following multiple tooth extractions if there is no denture in place and flexible dentures can improve this and also ensure that you oral health will be maintained.

Glasgow Denture Studio would use a partial denture to help getting your smile back to its best by replacing missing teeth. This can be an emotional time for the denture wearer as it will no doubt have a knock on effect of raising self-confidence and once again allowing them to enjoy life to the full.

You can have your generic dentures adjusted to have a soft flexible lining to make your current dentures more comfortable. The coating on the inside of the soft denture is made from a non-porous resin which helps resist bacteria unlike in the traditional acrylic dentures.

The resin based dentures will outlast traditional dentures possibly because they are not held in place by metal clips, instead, they are hook into the undercut at the ridge of the gums. The flexible resin piece of your denture is what hooks into the gums. This is to minimise the friction between the hard base of the denture and your gum. As opposed to clipping over the teeth, the hooking in method deployed by flexible dentures reduces movement when you are eating, especially if you are having to do a lot of chewing, like with a steak for instance and not only that, because you do not use a denture adhesive gel, the flexible dentures can adjust to changes in your mouth more easily unlike a more traditional denture which would end up rubbing and irritating any newly developed ridges in your gums, which would result in sores and could cause blistering. Because you feel less pain due to decreased sensitivity, it is not uncommon for soft denture wearers to initially not identify irregular change in their bite.

The main advantages of flexible dentures are:

• Unlikely to go through any pain or discomfort from the dentures
• Increased denture retention
• Offers a more cosmetic solution
• Transparency of the material means it blends in with you gum colouring
• No need for adhesive gel
• Relatively quick to manufacture
• Less components to flexible dentures
• No fear of the denture coming loose because they are tight fitting

Soft dentures are cleaned using the same method as traditional acrylic dentures. Many people do tend to soak their flexible dentures through the night, 3 or 4 times a week and it is beneficial to clean you denture after meals, where possible. You can cause damage to your flexible denture if you use a toothbrush, however, if you maintain your denture properly.