Before you got dentures, you may have eagerly looked forward to receiving your new prosthetic. Perhaps you kept a mental list of foods that you were planning to eat with your restored teeth! Now that you have dentures, though, you might find that eating with them is more challenging than you expected. Do not worry. You can get used to eating with dentures. This beginner’s guide provides some helpful tips.
Start with Soft Foods
Your gums might be a bit sore and tender when you first start wearing your dentures. To minimize your discomfort, it may be best to eat a soft diet for at least a few weeks. Foods like applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and eggs are all good choices.
Be Careful with Hot Foods
An upper denture covers your palate and your gums, so it may interfere with your ability to sense the temperature of the foods you eat. If you consume something extremely hot, you might not realize that it could burn you until it is too late! It would be best to test the temperature of foods with your lips before placing them in your mouth.
Distribute Food Evenly on Both Sides of Your Mouth
Traditional dentures might become destabilized if you place too much pressure on one side. To keep your prosthetic in place, make an effort to evenly distribute food across both sides of your mouth when you are chewing.
Bite Carefully
Since dentures can occasionally become destabilized, you should not use their front teeth to bite directly into hard or tough foods. For example, instead of biting into a whole apple, use a knife to cut the fruit into small pieces. Immediately move the pieces to your back teeth so you can thoroughly chew them. Corn on the cob and bone-in meats are other foods that you should be cautious with.
Drink Plenty of Liquids
Starchy and sticky foods could accumulate on your dentures, which may lead to bad breath and other oral hygiene issues. Drinking plenty of water after meals can help to rinse away those food particles. It can also help to reduce the risk of dry mouth. Of course, a nightly cleaning routine for your dentures is still important.
Call Your Dentist if You Need Help
Your dental team wants you to succeed with your new dentures, so do not hesitate to reach out to them if you are struggling to adapt to your prosthetic. Let them know what the problem is, and they will advise you on your next steps. Hopefully, eating with your dentures will soon feel easy and natural!
Meet the Practice
At Four Town Dental, our practice is home to several skilled dental professionals, all of whom are eager to provide a positive care experience for patients. If you have questions about tooth replacement, or you would like advice on how you can succeed with dentures, we would be pleased to speak with you. Contact our Enfield office at 860-856-6928.