Tips For Adapting To Denture Wearing

The first weeks of wearing new dentures is quite the adaptation period. Having a foreign object in your mouth as you talk and eat can come with some challenges. Below, you will find a few tips that can help you get through the adjustment period a little easier and find comfort in your new dentures much sooner.

Check the Fit

The most important thing when it comes to being able to talk and eat with your new dentures is the fit. If they don't stay exactly where they are meant to stay, talking and eating can be a bigger challenge than it should be. If the dentures slide out of place or rub your gums, go back to your dentist immediately. Well-fitting dentures should never wobble, wiggle, or slide on your gums.

Use Glue

Sometimes, even the best fitting dentures don't stay in place when you take a bite out of your favorite foods. When you bite with your front teeth, the back of the denture could pop off and allow the food to slide under the plate, or worse yet, allow them to flop out of your mouth for all to see.

Denture glue should always be used sparingly. One narrow bead of glue around the area where your gums fit into the denture and a thin bead along the back palate of the denture is all that is needed to keep your denture firmly in place.

Make sure you carry your denture paste with you when you are out of the house. Hot drinks and warm foods can cause the paste to weaken, so you will need to redo it sometime through the day.

Talk to Yourself

Practice talking when nobody is around. Count from one to twenty several times to get acquainted with the way the denture affects the way your tongue and cheeks work together to form words. If, when you say the numbers seven and seventeen, you hear a whistle, go back to your dentist to have your dentures adjusted. This means that the palate portion of the dentures aren't the right shape or the teeth are too far forward. They will need to be adjusted to fix the problem – this will not go away with time.

It will take some time but rest assured, before you know it, you will be talking and eating and not even know that your dentures are even in your mouth. If several weeks go by and you still haven't adapted, talk with your dentist about possible options.