Having your natural teeth removed and replaced by dentures is a major undertaking, so it should come as no suprise that it will take you anywhere from four to eight weeks to adjust to them. Knowing what to expect in those first weeks will help to make the transition easier.
How Your Mouth Will Respond
At first, your new dentures will seem very bulky and feel like they are pushing your lips forward. You may also salivate a lot, but this is nothing to be worried about. Your mouth needs to get used to the feeling of having something foreign in it and the salivation will stop once that has happened.
Making Your Dentures Comfortable to Wear
It is very important that your dentures fit properly. If they are loose they can cause ulcers in your mouth by rubbing against the inside of it. If you notice your dentures feeling like they are not fitting tightly, return to the dentist as soon as possible to have them adjusted.
Eating With Your New Dentures
This will most likely be the hardest thing to get used to. When you first get fitted with dentures, try to avoid food that is hard, crunchy or sticky. They may cause problems with your dentures and frustrate you right away. Soft foods or food that has been cut into small pieces will be easier to chew while you are getting used to your dentures. Other things that may damage your dentures when eating are tearing food with your front teeth and chewing food on only one side of the mouth. The reason for this is that if both sides of the mouth are not used for chewing, it could pull the dentures out of position and they will need to be re-adjusted.
Learning to Speak While Wearing Dentures
You may feel self-conscious the first few times you speak to someone with your new dentures in. If you are, practice making different types of speech sounds and reading to yourself out loud. Although your tongue, lips and cheeks will need some time to adjust to the presence of the dentures, this should not be a long process. Within a few days, no one should notice your voice sounding any differently than it usually does.
How to Properly Care For Your Dentures
Dentures must be removed every night to be cleaned and also so your gums are exposed to the saliva in your mouth. This helps to keep your gums healthy. To clean the dentures, use a soft bristled toothbrush on them at night and in the morning. You should not place toothpaste on the cleaning brush. Once the dentures have been brushed, they should be placed in a glass of cold water overnight. If you notice a problem with staining, a denture cleaning tablet can be added to the water.
Care of Your Mouth and Gums
In order for your gums, roof of your mouth and tongue to remain healthy, they must be brushed every day just as you would before you had dentures.