Soft lining to relieve soreness beneath dentures

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Chronic denture-related tissue soreness significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• Conventional denture adjustments often fail to resolve persistent discomfort.
• Soft denture liners offer a potential therapeutic intervention for such cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term efficacy of soft denture liners in managing chronic mandibular denture soreness.
• To assess patient-reported outcomes and symptom resolution over an extended follow-up period.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen patients with chronic denture-related tissue soreness received soft-lined mandibular dentures.
• Patients were followed for up to 3 years with regular re-examinations.
• Symptom relief, denture stomatitis incidence, and patient compliance were recorded.

Main Results:

• Immediate relief was reported by all patients, with 89% symptom-free after 2 weeks.
• Long-term symptom-free rates ranged from 60% to 71% over 3 years.
• Denture stomatitis incidence increased significantly, reaching 100% by 3 years, despite overall symptom relief.

Conclusions:

• Soft denture liners are effective in providing significant and lasting relief from chronic denture soreness.
• While effective for soreness, soft liners did not prevent the increase in denture stomatitis over time.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term oral health implications of soft denture liners.