Getting Through the First Month with Dentures

Dentures can make a massive positive difference in the lives of people who are missing teeth. There’s a huge difference in how you’ll look and feel when you go from having no teeth to a mouth full of them.

Even though the change is a positive one, adjusting to it may still take a while. The first month of dentures in particular can cause quite a few problems for patients. If you’re getting an oral prosthetic soon, here are a few things you can do to make adaptation easier.

Watch What You Eat

When you get your dentures, the first thing that you’re likely to struggle with is eating. Once you’re used to it, you’re sure to find that grinding up food is actually easier than it used to be—that said, until then you may want to consider carefully what you eat.

For one, you should take care to eat in small bites as much as possible. You may also want to consider taking on a soft food diet, especially in the first few months of having them. Finally, you may also want to be careful not to bite with your front teeth, as this often causes the back of your dentures to pop off of your gums.

Practice Your Diction

Speaking normally is a complicated interaction between your tongue, teeth, and the muscles in the face. Dentures can make that a little more complicated, which often means that people have a bit of a hard time talking with them in the first month or so.

If you’re struggling, take a little bit of time to practice speaking. Read aloud from your favorite book and take note of words you struggle with, practicing them in particular.

Give your Gums a Rest

Even if you’re gentle when eating and talking, it’s unavoidable that you’ll deal with a few sores here and there early on. If you find that your gums are feeling tender, feel free to pull your dentures out to give them a break.

If you aren’t already, you should also be sure that you’re taking your dentures out to soak overnight. This not only gives your gums time to rest, but is an important chance to ensure that your dentures are free of bacteria.

About Our Practice

At All Smiles Leesburg, everyone here has a passion for what we do. From our front desk staff to our experienced dental team, we come to work every day motivated to do our absolute best for our patients. We want to be a dentist’s office that people are excited about so that your checkups go from something you dread to something you look forward to!

If you have any questions about dentures, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (703) 782-5171.