For many of our patients at Pure Dental, the transition between having natural teeth and wearing dentures can take some getting used to. To help you out, your Gahanna dental hygienist has put together a convenient list of our top 5 oral care tips for getting past the awkward phase so that you can enjoy all the advantages dentures have to offer.
Do you have a favorite book you like to read? After getting fitted with dentures, try reading that same book out loud to help you get used to talking with dentures. While reading, take note of which words are more difficult for you to pronounce. Make a running list of these words and practice them over and over so you can grow more comfortable with dentures while talking to friends, family members, and coworkers. Over time, your mouth will learn how to adapt to speaking normally while wearing dentures.
It’s natural for your new dentures to slip and slide a little bit. For this reason, we advise our patients to expect slippage, especially when laughing, coughing, or sneezing. When denture slippage happens, you can discretely bite down and swallow. By doing this, you can slightly adjust your full or partial dentures for a more comfortable fit, even when in public.
During the first few days of wearing dentures, you want to ease your way into eating your normal diet. For example, during the first few days you may eat soft foods or foods cut into small pieces. Good examples include mashed potatoes and yogurt. Gradually, as you get used to eating with dentures, you can start to introduce the foods you love that are more difficult to eat, such as steak.
It is of outmost importance that you keep your dentures wet. Once your dentures become dry, they also grow brittle which makes them prone to significant breakage. To protect your dentures, make sure that they are in a glass of water or denture cleanser when they aren’t in your mouth.
In order to continue their normal pre-denture eating habits, many of our clients use adhesives. Denture adhesives come in either a cream or strip and are sold in most grocery stores. They are meant to secure dentures in place so that you can eat and talk with confidence.
Even though dentures take some getting used to, they are still a rewarding dental treatment for those with several missing teeth or struggling with decayed teeth. The transition time is relatively short and most of our dental patients enjoy a boost of confidence when they can feel comfortable with their own smile. You won’t be hiding your smile for photos when you get fitted for dentures at Pure Dental
If you are interested in a denture fitting or one of our other dental services, please feel free to call our Gahanna dental hygienists at (614) 475-7580. At Pure Dental, we are dedicated towards helping you enjoy a beautiful smile.