Congratulations on restoring your beautiful, functional smile with dentures in Pasadena! Your new custom-made, natural-looking dental application is a great choice for replacing missing teeth. While you can enjoy the look of your fully intact smile right away, it may take a little bit of time to get used to eating with them. Here are seven practical tips to keep in mind as you navigate your daily diet with your new teeth.
#1 Start with Soft Foods
Your gums need time to adjust to the presence of your dentures. Eating tough, hard, or chewy foods right away may cause discomfort, so stick to a diet of soft foods for your first week or so with dentures. Good choices include apple sauce, pudding, mashed potatoes, and smooth ice cream.
#2 Chew Evenly
Chewing on one side of your mouth more than the other could cause your dentures to slip out of place as you eat. Practice eating slowly and deliberately chewing on both sides. Soon, this practice will become second nature!
#3 Beware of Hot Foods
Since your mouth is insulated by your new dentures, it will be more difficult to tell how hot a food or drink is until it’s in your mouth. To protect yourself from burns, test the temperature of items like hot soup, tea, or pizza with small bites or sips.
#4 Don’t Worry About Extra Saliva
Producing extra saliva for a time after getting your new dentures is a common occurrence. This should naturally subside on its own over time, but until then, try sucking on a piece of sugar-free candy.
#5 Cut Your Food into Smaller Pieces
Eating smaller pieces of your meal by cutting it up or taking small bites makes food easier to chew and puts less pressure on your gums. As an added bonus, it also helps aid digestion!
#6 Drink Water Regularly
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is another way to combat the excess saliva production you may experience. Additionally, it will help to keep your dentures clean and free of any lingering food particles or bacteria.
#7 Remember That a Little Soreness is Normal
Dentures are an excellent way to regain the important look, feel, and function of your missing teeth in a short amount of time. However, it will take a few days or perhaps weeks to fully adjust to your new teeth. It’s completely natural to experience some soreness in your jaw and gums at first, so be patient with yourself. If you continue to feel uncomfortable for several weeks or develop sores on your gums, see your Pasadena dentist right away for adjustments.
Eating with your new dentures may seem strange now, but it won’t feel like this forever. With a little practice and these practical tips, using your new teeth should become second nature in no time!
About the Author
Dr. Kimber Holmes of Pasadena Family Dentistry has been serving the families of Pasadena, TX and the surrounding communities for over 20 years now. She and her experienced team members fully understand that a complete smile is important for both mental wellbeing and overall health. That’s why they offer a variety of restorative services to repair broken smiles, including dentures. If you have more questions about your new dentures, they’d be happy to help you via their website or at (713) 946-5171.