11 Tips for Adjusting to New Dentures
HOW DO I ADJUST TO MY NEW DENTURES?
Now that you have your new smile it is important to remember that your new dentures will take some getting used to. While this is an exciting time and you’ll want to dive right into eating the foods you love, there are a few things to keep in mind. Whether this is your first set or replacement set, adjusting to your new dentures can be a challenge. You must realize that new dentures will feel strange and unnatural at first and this is because our mouths have perhaps been accustomed to ill-fitting dentures or worn-down dentures.
Possible overcompensation of any existing natural teeth (for example: chewing on the natural anterior (front) teeth because of a lack of posterior(back) teeth), chewing will need to be relearned. With time and patience, we can help you master wearing your new dentures. Here are 5 tips on how to adjust to your new dentures which include tips for eating with new dentures, speaking with new dentures, and excess saliva with new dentures. If you need additional assistance, we recommend contacting our Winnipeg Denture Clinic – Minuk & Koster Denture Clinic.
EATING WITH NEW DENTURES
Eating with your dentures requires a bit of strategy that may not have even been thought about or done naturally. With natural teeth, each tooth is anchored to your jaw bone by a root. A denture base sits on top of your gums freely or is held in place by an anchoring tooth (partial dentures).
What does this all mean exactly? You may have to learn to bite and chew differently. When biting with natural teeth, the tendency is to pull forward or sideways. With dentures, you much practice chewing on both sides of the mouth at the same time to prevent the dentures from rocking or dislodging.
Tips for Eating with New Dentures
Bite on your back teeth- If you can, try to do the majority of your biting and chewing on the back teeth, evenly distributing food between both sides of your mouth. Avoid biting with the anterior teeth as this can cause the suction of the upper plate to fail.
Start with softer food such as fish, cooked vegetables oatmeal, and scrambled eggs while avoiding sticky or chewy foods. This will allow you to relearn to chew with both sides of your mouth slowly to prevent your dentures from dislodging. As time progresses you will be able to incorporate more foods into your regime.
Cut food up into smaller pieces- Since Digestion begins in the mouth, it is important that you eat smaller pieces of food that will allow you to chew slowly and thoroughly. Being able to chew one’s food and having a proper diet is absolutely essential to your overall mental and physical well-being.
SPEAKING WITH NEW DENTURES
Practicing your speech will allow you to become more confident in social situations. Some denture wearers may sound like they are lisping and may experience cheek or tongue biting for the first while. Do not fear, wearing your dentures consistently will help your muscles learn quickly where not to go.
Tips for Speaking with New Dentures:
PRACTICE! Reading or singing aloud will help your denture settle in, as the mouth becomes used to it. If you are multilingual, practice in as many languages as you can as the pronunciation of words will be different.
EXCESS SALIVIA WITH NEW DENTURES
Since your dentures were inserted, you may find that you are producing extra saliva. Why? This is the body’s normal reaction to any foreign object ie: a denture. This is not unlike the body’s response to dust getting into one’s eyes, the eyes water in hopes to alleviate the foreign object. This will get better over time but here are a few things you can do to help.
Tips for Excess Saliva with Dentures:
Drink lots of water
Suck on hard, nonsticky candies such as mints
Keep dentures in the more you are consistent in wearing your denture, the quicker your mouth will adjust to it.
WEAR YOUR DENTURE
OTHER TIPS FOR ADJUSTING TO YOUR NEW DENTURES
Wear your new denture(s) as long as possible- This is imperative. If you are not wearing your new teeth, you’ll never get used to them. Normally, new dentures may need to be adjusted from time to time. If you have a sore spot, rinse with warm salt water (this toughens & heals the gum tissue), if the sore spot persists after a few days, call and schedule an adjustment with your Denturist.
Do not attempt to adjust your denture. Adjusting your denture can damage your denture, and your mouth and void any warranty in place. Your denture was created by injecting acrylic into a mold at high pressure or with a sophisticated milling machine or 3D printing. Professional polishing tools are used to ensure that the denture is smooth and does not irritate the gums. By adjusting your denture, you can create small scratches which are ideal for breeding bacteria. This can lead to bad breath and other complications. At Minuk Denture Clinic, we pride ourselves on offering Winnipeg residents free aftercare after their denture has been inserted.
Be Patient with your new dentures. Remember to be patient with yourself, and your new denture(s). Getting new dentures is something that generally happens every 5 years, so you need to make sure that you give your new smile a chance. If you have any questions or concerns, our Winnipeg Denture Clinic has extended hours to help customers. Call our Winnipeg office at 204.589.6329 if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help!
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Minuk & Koster Denture Clinic is Canada’s largest Denture Clinic located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. With over 100,000+ dentures created since 1977, our team is confident that we can help you love your smile again. Minuk & Koster has denture solutions for all budgets and is here to help you understand the cost of dentures and the process of getting new dentures. Our team of denturists and expert staff are here to help you get the smile you’ve always wanted. Check out our Smile Stories and learn more about the Minuk difference by reviewing our website or calling us at 204-589-6329. Book your free consultation today!
