4 Helpful Ways to Adapt to Your Dentures
Jun 01, 2023
You’re about to transition to dentures, and you’re understandably a little nervous about what life will be like once your new teeth are in place.
While it’s natural to wonder how eating and talking and taking care of your dentures will work, there are several strategies that have proven to work well for patients who get dentures.
The team at Tropical Dental Care understands what you’re going through. Here are four helpful tips they recommend to help you adapt to your new dentures.
Don’t be too hard on yourself when you get your dentures. Just like braces, they’re a new dental appliance, and it will take some time to adjust to your new reality. Be ready to experience some minor soreness, and be patient as you adjust to eating and talking with new teeth. It will take some practice to get back to normal — this is all part of the process. It may help to take your dentures out every few hours to give yourself a break for a few minutes.
Really. Speaking with your new dentures will probably feel odd at first. Music is a great form of speech therapy, so therapists often recommend singing along to your favorite music during the day. This will help you learn to form words more easily so your dentures won’t feel like they’re hindering you.
If certain words or phrases are difficult to say, practice repeating them out loud as well. This will help your mouth get used to saying them with your dentures. You can also try some facial exercises to help your muscles adapt to the new situation — smile really wide and try various expressions to start.
During your initial adjustment period, stay away from hard, tough, crunchy foods, and stick with soft foods that are easy to chew. This can include foods like mashed potatoes, vegetables, eggs, pudding, beans, and more.
If you experience irritation from your dentures, consider trying an adhesive or dental cream. Your dentist will be able to recommend the best option for your situation. If the irritation continues, you may want to talk to your dentist about adjusting the fit of your dentures so they sit more comfortably on your gums.
If you need help adjusting to life with dentures, the caring team at Tropical Dental Care is here to help. To request an appointment, just call our office or use our online scheduler, and we’ll fit you in as soon as we can!