Adjusting to Life With Dentures
When you find out that you need dentures, you might have a lot of questions. These artificial removable teeth replace missing ones, giving you back a smile brightened by a full set of teeth. When you’re missing teeth, your problems aren’t just aesthetic, though. Missing teeth may cause trouble with speech or eating, too.
Dentures can restore your confidence, especially if you are embarrassed by missing teeth. And today’s dentures are much better than your grandmother’s false teeth, but sometimes dentures require a period of adjustment.
At Charlotte Dental Implant Center, we can help you with that adjustment. Ramesh K. Sunar, DMD, is an expert in fitting dentures and offers these suggestions to help you adapt.nd, here’s what he wants you to know about how bone grafting works.
Common issues with new dentures
As you adjust to your new dentures, you may notice:
Dentures shifting in your mouth
Difficulty talking
Difficulty eating
Feeling like your dentures are loose
All of these characteristics of adjusting to dentures are normal and common, but there are easy ways to deal with each as well. You shouldn’t have to live with discomfort as part of wearing dentures.
How to correct denture-specific problems
As much as you wish you could just pop your new dentures in and go on with life, it just doesn’t work that way. But overcoming the challenges of adjusting to your dentures doesn’t have to be difficult. Here’s what you can do.
Speak slowly
You may notice that it’s more challenging to speak properly as you get used to wearing dentures. You can ease this problem by speaking more slowly than usual.You may also have difficulty pronouncing certain words. Practice saying these words with your dentures in so that you can retrain your mouth to form the words. With a little bit of practice, you can speak normally again.
Chew your food carefully
Chewing food is a very common challenge when adjusting to dentures. Set realistic expectations and start with soft foods first. Choosing the right foods makes a big difference.Soft foods are easiest to chew, as are smaller bites. Avoid crunchy, gummy, or overly sticky foods, such as apples, caramel, or taffy. Make sure to chew on both sides of your mouth evenly.
Exercise your cheek muscles
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think about your cheek muscles. Also called the buccinator muscles, these help your jaw to chew food and form words.You may need to build up your cheek muscles after getting dentures. If your teeth are removed prior to getting dentures, that’s a good time to start exercising your cheek muscles. Talk to Dr. Sunar about what types of exercises you can do.
Make sure your dentures fit properly
Although it’s normal to have some difficulty adjusting to dentures, it can take time to perfect the right fit. Talk to Dr. Sunar if you just can’t seem to feel comfortable with your dentures in, especially if you’ve tried other techniques to get used to them. Getting the right fit for dentures isn’t just a one-time thing, either. Gums and teeth normally shift a bit over time. This means that your dentures may need to be adjusted to fit properly in your mouth. Don’t ever try to adjust your dentures by yourself.
Consider using adhesives
Once you’re sure that your dentures fit properly, talk to Dr. Sunar about whether denture adhesives could be right for you. Some people feel more secure when they use denture adhesives.Adjusting to dentures can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s a temporary issue. Let Dr. Sunar and his team help you get used to this new change. Soon, your mouth will be feeling better. Call our Charlotte office today or make an appointment online.