Tips for Adjusting to Life With Dentures

Edentulism, or tooth loss, affects about nine million Americans, which puts many in a position of needing a dental restoration. Dentures serve as an excellent option to support the structure of your mouth for chewing and talking when your teeth are missing. Whether you need full arch dentures or partial dentures, they can take a while to get used to.

At Arya Dental in Fullerton, California, Saeed Mokhayeri, DDS, and Hengameh Safarcherati, DDS and our dental team can restore your oral health with dentures. We also have tips to help you adjust to wearing them.

Start with eating soft foods

When you first get your dentures, you want to eat food that’s easy to chew and swallow. For example, foods like mashed potatoes, banana pudding, and applesauce can help you adjust to what it feels like to have food in your mouth with your new set of teeth.

Taking this one small step can help you as you ease your way into your new life with your dentures. You can learn how to slowly bite down without harming your tongue or scraping your gums, and the soft foods can also put less pressure on your new teeth and gums, which should relieve you of any discomfort.

As you become acclimated to eating with your new dentures, you can slowly transition over to more solid foods, such as rice, cooked vegetables, and soft meats.

Don’t bite down on your front teeth

If you use your front teeth to chew or bite down, your denture can pop out in the back. To prevent this from happening, simply keep your chewing evenly on both sides of your mouth.

Be patient with your lower denture

Your lower denture might give you more challenges than your top denture because it has less suction and only a small amount of gum support, causing your denture to feel a bit loose. Don’t lose hope! Once your mouth gets used to the feel of it, you’ll be able to keep it in place naturally.

Getting new dentures can have its challenges in the beginning, but if you remain patient and practice our healthy tips, they can add great benefits. Not only can your new set of teeth help you chew and speak clearly, but your facial structure can fill out and give your smile a confident boost.

To learn more about living with dentures, contact us by calling either our Fullerton location or book your appointment online.