5 Tips for Getting Used to Your Dentures
While the prevalence of partial and total tooth loss has decreased over the last 30 years, 27.27% of seniors over the age of 65 don’t have any remaining teeth [1]. Whereas, 3.75% of adults aged 20 to 64 have no remaining teeth [2].
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons dentures are much more prevalent than you might originally assume.
Tooth loss can be difficult to deal with. Not only does it damage your self-confidence, but it can lead to changes in the way you speak and eat. However, there is a great solution for those suffering from tooth loss.
Dentures provide a great way to restore your smile to regain confidence and to help you get back to eating as you normally would. However, adjusting to wearing dentures isn’t a seamless process for everyone. Below, we will be going over some of the top 5 tips to help you get used to wearing your dentures.
Our Top 5 Tips For Adjusting To New Dentures
Prepare For It To Feel Weird
When you get brand new dentures, you will likely experience minor discomfort for the first couple of weeks. According to the ADA, this is completely normal [3]. It is very likely that your mouth will be salivating more than usual and you may experience minor to fairly significant soreness and irritation. Your mouth will take time to adjust to your dentures. However, there are certain things that you can do to help ease your way into it.
If you’ve ever been fitted for a dental appliance, you are likely well aware of how odd you may sound initially before you are able to speak normally with your dentures in your mouth. Give yourself time to practice speaking with your new dentures. you may want to Practice in front of a mirror so you don’t end up losing confidence in front of people.
Change The Way You Eat During The Adjustment Period
You may have to alter the way you eat and the things you eat during your adjustment period. You likely won’t be a professional at eating with your newly fitted dentures right away. Because of this, you should do several things to give yourself time to adjust. First, you may want to avoid eating certain ‘hard to eat’ foods.
This includes hard or chewy foods like candy, steak, and anything else that requires a lot of chewing. Start by eating soft foods and cutting your food into smaller pieces. Likewise, you want to try to chew equally using both sides of your denture. This may feel difficult or odd at first considering most people generally favor one side or the other.
Using Adhesives
While you are getting adjusted to living with dentures, you are likely going to want to use adhesive to assist in the process of getting used to wearing them. As mentioned, if your dentures are slipping or sliding, it can lead to sores or irritation. Don’t hesitate to contact us if this is the case.
The good news is that using adhesive can help stabilize and secure your dentures, especially your lower dentures that are more prone to moving while you’re eating or talking. By using an adhesive, it can make wearing dentures easier and more enjoyable.
Clean Your Dentures
You don’t want to forget about cleaning your dentures during the adjustment period. As with your teeth, you want to ensure that you are adequately cleaning the dentures to keep them hygienic. Use a denture cleaning solution to disinfect your dentures and a denture brush to scrub them daily. This will remove any buildup or debri on the teeth and stop foul odors. This can make them much more comfortable for you to wear.
Contact Us
If you are experiencing any irritation or discomfort, please contact us as soon as possible. So we can help remedy the situation for you. Your dentures will likely feel uncomfortable at first, but they shouldn’t be putting you in agonizing pain.
Overall, dentures can help give you a smile you’re not afraid to show. Tooth loss is something many are faced with and dentures can be a great solution to solving various forms of tooth loss. While they do have an adjustment period, they can get you back to feeling normal before you know it.
References:
[1] www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/tooth-loss/
[2] www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/
[3] www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/ADA_PatientSmart_Dentures.pdf?la=en
