Five Tips to Help You Adjust to Life With Dentures

Approximately 40 million Americans are missing all of their teeth, to say nothing of the millions who are missing a single row of teeth. To replace these missing teeth, 90% of people turn to dentures, which do a great job restoring your ability to chew, talk, and smile with confidence.

While dentures excel in replacing rows of missing teeth, there is a period of adjustment that everyone goes through when they first receive these prosthetics. Given the millions who have gone before you, we’ve learned a few things about easing this transition. 

In the following, the dental team here at Hillsdale Dental Care, headed up by Drs. Roge Jacob and Magdalena Azzarelli, present five great tips that will go a long way toward helping you to adjust quickly to your new dentures.

1. Go soft at first

When you first receive your dentures, we recommend that you stick to soft foods that don’t require a great deal of chewing. Your gums can be sensitive during the early days of denture wearing as they acclimate to your new prosthetic teeth. 

So, instead of a chewy steak, fill up on some mashed potatoes or a hearty soup. Or, make breakfast a yogurt smoothie instead of toast or crunchy cereal.

2. Wear your dentures as much as possible

At first, your dentures are going to feel odd in your mouth, and you may be tempted to take them out. This is especially true if you experience soreness in your gums, which most people experience to some degree, especially if we’ve extracted teeth to make room for the dentures. 

Regardless, we urge you to soldier through this initial discomfort and wear your dentures as much as possible. Your body can be quick to adapt to a new normal if you give it a little time to adjust.

3. Learn to speak confidently

When you first wear your dentures, it might also feel strange when you talk. A nifty trick for overcoming speech challenges is to sing. Whether you’re in the car or in the shower, play some music and sing along, which will help you produce fluid sounds that will make talking in the future a snap.

4. Take good care of your dentures

It’s important that you keep up with the regular cleaning regimen of your dentures. If you fail to clean your dentures properly, debris can get in, which can render denture wearing quite uncomfortable.

Rest assured, we supply you with complete denture care instructions before you leave with your new prosthetics.

5. Report any issues

We make every effort to ensure that your dentures fit your gums and mouth perfectly, but there are times when we might have to make some minor adjustments once you start using the dentures. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, we want you to tell us about it. Often, all it takes is a small tweak in your dentures or adhesives to improve your comfort level.

If you have more questions about adjusting to dentures, we’re here to help. To get started, please contact our office in San Jose, California, to schedule a consultation.