With a little bit of patience and an excellent dentist in San Antonio who knows what they’re doing, dentures can allow you to eat more delicious foods again. Why the patience? After living with failing teeth, or having no teeth for some time, having a full set of teeth again may feel strange and take some time to get used to. In fact, the average transition period for using dentures is typically about a month. Read on for four tips to make eating with dentures easier.
Start Off with Small Bites
Your dentures will engage new facial muscles that you may not have had to use before. Those muscles will take some time (and practice!) to get stronger, adding some stability to your dentures and making chewing easier. Until you get more confident using your replacement teeth, it’s a good idea to start by cutting your food into very small bites that are much easier to chew and digest. This will help you get a handle on how they work and feel.
Follow a Soft Diet
Although you may have a hankering for a steak or grilled chicken, it’s a good idea to take it easy when it comes to food. You need to adjust to how your new prosthetic feels in your mouth, and the last thing you want is to overextend yourself and end up with sore gums. For this reason, it’s a good idea to stock your kitchen with soft foods, like scrambled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, fish, tuna or egg salad, shaved deli meats, oatmeal, pasta, etc.
Know What Foods to Avoid
In addition to knowing what foods to eat, you’ll also want to know what ones to avoid, even after your transition period is over. Unless you have implant dentures, which are permanently anchored within your mouth, you’ll want to steer clear of any foods that are sticky, crunchy or hard. These can damage your dentures or be incredibly difficult to eat, even if you’re using adhesive.
Catch the Signs of Ill-Fitting Dentures
If you’ve had your dentures for some time or you still can’t get the hang of eating with your dentures after a month with them, you may want to start considering that your dentures simply don’t fit your mouth properly. If you’re developing sores on your gums or your dentures won’t stay secured over your gumline, it could be time to visit your dentist. Your dentures may need to be relined or replaced.
About the Author
Dr. Troy Jones has over three decades of experience and is dedicated to providing first-class, compassionate care to his patients. He understands how dramatically tooth loss can impact his patients’ lives, which is why he offers a number of solutions, ranging from traditional dentures to modern, cutting-edge implant dentures. For questions or to learn more, contact Dr. Troy Jones & Associates’ website or call 210-349-4408.