4 Tips to Adjust to Life with Dentures

4 Tips to Adjust to Life with Dentures

April 1, 2023

Over 50% of American adults have lost at least one tooth, while around 40 million have lost all their natural teeth. Missing teeth can negatively impact your ability to speak and eat properly, cause bone loss, and cause your facial muscles to collapse, leading to facial sagging, wrinkles, and premature aging.

Partial or complete dentures are excellent and cost-effective replacement options to restore oral function and transform your smile after tooth loss. Keep reading to learn more about dentures and tips for adjusting your life with them.

What are Dentures?

A denture is a dental prosthesis consisting of one or more artificial teeth and gums. Traditional dentures or overdentures rest over your natural teeth and bone, closing gaps left by missing teeth, and you can remove them as needed.

Dentures look like natural teeth and are used on a few or all of your natural teeth. Partial dentures replace a few missing teeth, while complete dentures replace all your natural teeth on either or both jaws. Visit our dental office for affordable dentures near you.

4 Effective Tips to Adjust to Dentures Quickly

Thanks to dental technology improvements, dentures no longer have to feel uncomfortable or bad fitting. Working with an experienced and well-skilled dentist will ensure you get the best results with your dentures.

However, when you first begin to wear dentures, they will likely feel unnatural and cause minor discomfort or gum soreness. It is entirely normal, and you will get used to wearing them shortly.

As tempting as it might be, don’t avoid wearing your dentures or remove them too often. Wearing dentures longer will help you adjust to having them in your mouth. To speed up your denture adjustment progress, below are four tips to keep in mind:

  • Begin with a soft diet.

A new denture should fit snugly over your natural teeth and gums. The perfect fit can cause your gums to feel tender or sore, especially in the first week or two. Hard, crunchy, hot, spicy, and acidic foods and beverages can irritate and hurt your gums, worsening your discomfort and increasing your risk of gum infections.

Besides the discomfort, chewing with dentures may feel uncomfortable and difficult or even cause your dentures to dislodge. Eating soft, small-sized, and cool foods can help you adjust to eating and chewing with a denture. Soft-diet foods include scrambled eggs, oatmeal, rice, bananas, soups, stew, and mashed potatoes.

After a week or two, you can slowly re-introduce harder foods like meat and apples. Cut them into small pieces and cook them well. It’s worth noting that chewing very hard items can cause the denture to break or dislodge.

  • Practice speaking.

Since your tongue is not used to dentures, pronouncing certain words might feel strange or difficult. Sometimes the denture can shift or dislodge when speaking, which can be embarrassing. While undesirable, you shouldn’t avoid speaking. Practice will help you get used to speaking with them.

Every day you should practice reading or singing your favorite song out loud. After around 2 – 4 weeks, you should be able to speak normally again without difficulty or worry that your denture will fall out of place.

  • Don’t Ignore discomfort.

While it’s normal to experience minor soreness or discomfort within the first couple weeks of wearing the denture, you should consult your dentist immediately if the symptoms don’t subside or worsen. For instance, ill-fitting or loose dentures can cause severe pain or difficulty speaking or eating. Your dentist should be able to adjust them for a proper and comfortable fit.

For typical side effects at the beginning of your treatment, you can consult your dentist about dental products like desensitizing toothpaste that you can use to manage your symptoms.

  • Maintain excellent oral hygiene.

Excellent oral hygiene is highly recommended when using dentures. Not brushing or flossing daily or not cleaning your dentures encourages a buildup of bacterial plaque and tartar on the teeth and dentures, which can cause gum irritation, teeth sensitivity, and oral infections. When cleaning your denture and mouth, use a soft brush, fluoride treatment, or denture solution.

Are you interested in dentures near you?

Would you like to learn more about dentures and denture adjustment tips? Contact us at We Care Dental to schedule a consultation with our dentist in Phoenix, AZ.

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