How to adjust to dentures
Making the decision to have dentures fitted is a big one, and although false teeth usually have a positive impact, such as improving self-confidence and improving oral health, they can also take some time to get used to.
Fred Cicetti offers expert advice on dentures and how to adjust to them, including tips on eating with dentures and any difficulties you may encounter.
When first eating with dentures, it is best to avoid certain foods – sticky foods such as toffee, raw fruit and vegetables like carrots and apples, and particularly chewy meats should be avoided initially, as you get used to wearing dentures, and how they work. Cutting food into small pieces may also help.
In order to take care of your dentures, there are ways you can eat your food in order to protect them as best as possible. Cicetti advises not biting with front teeth, or pulling food outward from the mouth. Your dentures should last you a long time if you look after them properly, which means considering how you eat. Chewing food on both sides of your mouth will also help stabilise the dentures.
Wearing dentures can also affect your mouth in that it becomes more difficult to feel, so be careful when eating hot foods, or foods with small bones, as they may be more harmful than you realise.
As well as eating, dentures can take some getting used to in other areas. Speaking will be very different, and you may need some practice at first – it may be slow, but trying to read aloud will help you become more accustomed to wearing dentures and speaking while wearing them.
Everyday tasks may be more noticeably different at first. When wearing dentures, you may find you have more saliva in your mouth. You should also be wary of your dentures loosening when you sneeze, cough or yawn.
In order to protect both your dentures and your mouth, you should remove them at least once a day to rest the tissue they are sat upon. Most people who wear dentures remove them before bed, storing them in a cleaning solution which will help keep them clean and safe.
After several years of wearing dentures, you may find them start to slip, and they may be irritating your gums more. This can be a sign that the mouth has become smaller, and the dentures no longer fit as well. When this happens, you should consult dental advice, so as to keep your mouth safe.
