7 Tips for Living with Dentures

Dentures offer a quick and affordable solution to fix your smile and restore your oral health, whether you’ve lost all or a few of your teeth. Our dentist in Phoenix will examine your mouth and design a treatment plan that best suits your needs. Dentures are custom-designed to look, function, and feel like your natural teeth, allowing you to speak, eat, and laugh normally.

Even though dentures are customized to fit snugly in your mouth, some patients experience minor discomfort and difficulties adjusting to wearing dentures. You’ll fully adjust to your dentures in a few days. Contact our dentist for customized dentures near you.

7 Tricks to Getting Used to Living with Dentures

Your dentist will design your dentures to fit securely and comfortably for a fully functional and beautiful smile. Below are some tips for using dentures:

• Clean your dentures daily

Like your natural teeth, you need to clean dentures daily. If not, they can develop plaque and bacteria, making you vulnerable to oral infections like gum disease. Similarly, they can get stained, ruining your perfect smile.

To keep your dentures sparkling clean and healthy, always rinse them after removing them. Next, use a denture brush or soft-bristled toothbrush and mild soap to scrub your dentures gently. Dental experts warn against using bleaching agents and abrasive oral products as they can damage your dentures.

After brushing the dentures, soak them with a nonabrasive denture cleanser daily. Consult your dentist about how long you should soak them. Also, rinse the denture thoroughly before wearing them in the morning.

• Maintain good oral hygiene

After removing your dentures, rinse and brush your teeth, gums, tongue, and mouth. Rinse and brush your teeth, gums, tongue, and mouth before wearing dentures near you. According to research, wearing dentures with poor dental hygiene increases your risk of bacterial and fungal infections. Brushing your mouth daily will keep bacteria and plaque at bay.

• Stay hydrated

Dentures can contribute to low saliva production and flow, leading to a dry mouth. It makes you vulnerable to bacterial infections and bad breath. Drinking enough water will keep your mouth moist and help wash away bacteria and debris from your mouth. The rule of thumb is to keep a bottle of water nearby and drink at least eight-ounce glasses daily.

• Eat carefully

Your dentures aren’t as stable and strong as your natural teeth. In the initial days, you may experience difficulties chewing food. Stick to a soft food diet during the adjustment period and chew carefully. Cutting your food into smaller pieces can make chewing easier.

Mashed potatoes, soft vegetables, eggs, oatmeal, and yogurt are great options in your diet. As you get used to eating, gradually introduce chewier foods. Still, avoid hard, crunchy, or sticky food items as they can cause the denture to break, loosen, fall off, or develop plaque.

• Perfect your speech

Like chewing food, many denture patients complain about finding it difficult to speak correctly. Practicing talking can help you get used to talking with dentures. We recommend reading or singing along with music regularly to speed up the adjustment period. You’ll go back to speaking normally in no time.

• Learn how to correct slippage

While dentures are customized to fit perfectly, abrupt movements can cause them to slip slightly or fall out. In most cases, denture slippage is caused by coughing, laughing, smiling, and sneezing. If your dentures slip, gently bite down and swallow to readjust them into proper alignment. Consult your dentist for repair, re-adjustment, or refitting if they slip too often.

• Schedule frequent dental assessments and cleanings

Even when your dentures are in perfect condition, regular dental checkups are essential to maintain good oral health and extend the lifespan of your dentures. Experts recommend visiting your dentist for check-ups at least twice yearly.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you looking for complete or partial dentures? Contact us at We Care Dental to schedule a consultation with our dentist today.