4 Tips for Adjusting to Dentures

On average, about 41 million Americans use dentures. They serve as common support for your oral health in place of your natural teeth, allowing you to chew food and speak clearly. 

At Advanced Implant Dentistry & MedSpa of North Shore in Glenview, Illinois, Dr. Jeon and Dr. Monto and the rest of our team are dentures specialists. We understand the challenges that come with your new set of false teeth.

Wearing dentures can be an adjustment for you. They take time to get used to, but we have suggestions to help you adjust to them naturally.

Here are four tips that should improve your experience:

1. Be patient

When you first get your dentures, the bulkiness in your mouth might feel a bit strange and awkward. Your lips might look fuller, and your cheeks can appear puffy. Other challenges include slurring your speech at times and salivating more than normal, but these issues typically disappear with time.

With patience and endurance, your new set of teeth should soon feel almost natural to you.

2. Take your time learning how to chew

As you start to adjust to eating with your new dentures, make sure you choose soft foods, such as eggs, applesauce, and yogurt. As you get more familiar with having dentures in your mouth, you can add more difficult foods to chew to your diet. 

You want to chew on both sides to stabilize your dentures, and we recommend that you avoid biting on food with the front of your teeth to prevent them from dislodging.

3. Understand the challenges with your lower dentures

Lower dentures don’t have the suction on them that your upper dentures do. They can feel like they are floating on your gums. 

To avoid this feeling, put your tongue against the inside of your lower denture and hold it in place. We may recommend adhesives, if needed.

4. Rinse your mouth with warm water

You might experience some sore spots on your gums as you wear your dentures. We recommend that you pour salt in a glass of warm water, stir, and rinse your mouth with several swishes. 

If your dentures cause continual irritations in your mouth or gums, come in for an adjustment with our team. We’re happy to make this transition as pleasant and comfortable as possible.

As you adjust to your new dentures, we suggest wearing them as much as possible to get used to them more quickly. Once you have mastered wearing them, feel free to take them out at night, and clean them well. We have instructions to give you on how to care for them.

For additional guidance on how to get used to your new dentures, call us at 847-998-8100 today, or request your appointment online. To find out our days and hours of service or to send a message to our team with questions, concerns, or comments, click here.

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