Adjusting to New Dentures
Dentures have become vital additions to the smiles of countless patients whom find themselves missing multiple teeth for a variety of reasons. These false teeth typically remain indistinguishable from natural ones, especially modernly designed dentures, yet the reality remains that they aren’t quite the same!
Dentures will greatly enhance the convenience of any incomplete smile; however, the initial period of adaption will pose some inconveniences on behalf of the patient. To ensure patients successfully accustom themselves, let’s go over some solid advice that contributes to a seamless adjustment period!
Steering Clear of Certain Foods
While the artificial teeth of dentures are durable feats of dentistry, they still fall marginally behind natural teeth in terms of resiliency and structure. Meaning they are regarded as more susceptible to damage when biting down on hard foods! Not only can these tough textures cause dentures to come loose as you chew, they infamously lead to unsightly breaks and chips on the false tooth’s surface.
For many patients sporting dentures for the first time, this advice finds itself oddly familiar to what’s told to those wearing braces. As indulging in sticky caramels or candies with hardened exteriors could potentially pop off a bracket, consuming hard or sticking foods to partaking in habits like crunching ice cubes and chewing on pen caps could equally damage an artificial tooth!
Starting With Softer Substances
To adjust accordingly to your smile’s latest addition, it will take some time to learn how to properly chew food while avoiding the common side effects of popping the dentures out of place, scraping your gums, or biting your tongue!
Especially within the first week, its recommended to consume soft foods like mashed potatoes, soups, and yogurt. Softer substances allow the smile to practice crucial motions in a delicate fashion while alleviating the pressure placed on the gums by the new dentures.
The Smaller the Better
Once the dentures become more accustomed to the smile, a patient is encouraged to move towards slightly tougher foods. Pieces of meat, vegetables, or bread are encouraged to be incorporated into the diet again- but it’s crucial they’re cut into bite size pieces. This allows the dentures and smile to continue their collaboration at a steady pace, without biting off more than you can chew (literally).
Leaving the Front Teeth Off-Limits
Even softer foods have a tendency to loosen dentures in the back of the smile as a reaction to pressure exerted from the front of the jaw. It’s best to avoid utilizing the front teeth to perform chewing or grinding, instead sending the bite sized pieces toward the side or back teeth. Even in a completely natural smile, the molars are designed as more efficient tools in performing such a function!
Brace Yourself
As noted, dentures will undeniably boost an incomplete smile’s quality of life, but will present new challenges to overcome and adapt to. It’s best to expect discomfort for approximately 30 days before these additions, and what they require in terms of change, become completely familiar.
To best ensure a smooth transition, it’s best to undergo this journey with a talented dental professional experienced in dentures and their installation. Capable of answering any thoughts, questions, or concerns you may have along the way, equipping you with the knowledge you need to effectively restore your smile!
