You’re in a position where you need to replace an entire row of teeth, and you’ve figured out that dentures are your best option. Today, more than 41 million people in the United States have dentures to replace missing teeth, to say nothing of the millions who have gone before them, which means there’s an enormous pool of experience to draw from.
As dental experts who routinely fit patients with full and partial dentures, the team here at McLean Aura Dentistry, including Dr. Chang Yi and Dr. Negar Tehran, has seen many people through the adjustment process.
Our goal is to help you chew, talk, and smile confidently as quickly as possible, and these tips can help.
Speaking is one of the first challenges to overcome whether you’re replacing one row or both rows of teeth with dentures. When you first put in your dentures, they’ll feel funny and foreign because your mouth and face muscles aren’t used to having complete sets of teeth.
As you adjust to these newcomers, speaking may be awkward at first. To get used to speaking with your dentures, we recommend you keep at it and speak as much as possible. A great way to get going is to sing with your dentures. So, turn up the radio in your car or shower and belt out a tune in private, which will have you talking confidently in no time.
The next big adjustment hurdle is eating. To help your gums and mouth adjust to eating with dentures, we suggest starting with soft foods for the first couple of days. We also recommend taking tiny bites. Also, don’t forget to chew on both sides of your mouth to get all areas used to the action.
Gradually add more solid foods as your gums get more comfortable with the pressure of chewing and your muscles are better able to move food around your mouth.
Before you know it, you can eat your favorite foods without batting an eye.
When you first get your dentures, you may salivate more — this is perfectly normal as your mouth adjusts to foreign objects. To deal with the excess saliva in your mouth, practice swallowing more and maybe suck on a hard, sugar-free candy to encourage swallowing.
With removable dentures, stability can be a big adjustment. These replacement teeth won’t be as secure as your natural teeth once were, and there’s no getting around that.
That said, we do our best to ensure your dentures feel secure and comfortable. You can do your part by experimenting with different adhesives to find the one that works best for you.
Also, please keep your dentures clean and well-protected, as debris or changes in the shape of your dentures can affect how snugly they fit.
Our last tip is to relax and smile with your new dentures in place. By relaxing, we’re referring to your facial muscles, which may be tense when you first put your dentures in. You can prevent soreness by learning to go with the new flow and focusing on tension in your face and mouth.
If you feel that your muscles are tense, the best way to relax them is to put a smile on your face.
By following these tips, you should eat, talk, and smile easily within a few weeks after getting your dentures.
If you have more questions about getting used to your dentures, please contact our office in McLean, Virginia, at 703-429-0770 to schedule a consultation or request an appointment online.
