How to adapt comfortably to new dentures?

It’s important to acknowledge that adjusting to new dentures takes a little patience and practice. Here are some common experiences and tips for new denture wearers:​

Initial Feel

When you first get dentures, they will likely feel strange. Your mouth may sense them as “foreign,” and you might salivate more or feel like there’s not enough room for your tongue. This is normal and usually improves over a few days to weeks.

Eating

Start with soft foods cut into small pieces. Think eggs, mashed veggies, pasta, yogurt, fish, cooked cereals, etc. Chew slowly and evenly on both sides to keep the dentures stable. Avoid very hot foods at first since dentures can insulate your mouth and you might not sense heat as quickly, risking burns. As you get comfortable, you can introduce chewier foods. Be cautious with extremely sticky or hard foods (gum, whole nuts, toffee) as they can dislodge dentures. You may need to learn to bite with the side teeth rather than front teeth (biting with the front of a denture can tip it in many cases). Over time, you’ll learn what works best and regain a lot of chewing ability.

Bottom Denture Challenges

If you have full dentures, know that the lower denture often is the most challenging to adapt to because it doesn’t have the same suction as the upper and the tongue can unseat it. Learning to relax the tongue and keeping the lower denture in place takes practice. In some cases, the dentist might recommend a denture adhesive to help, or long-term, consider implants to stabilize a lower denture if it’s particularly troublesome.

Sore Spots

As you start wearing the dentures all day, certain areas might rub and create sore spots on your gums. This is why follow-up adjustments are crucial. Don’t hesitate to come back to us to trim or adjust the fit; dentures are meant to be refined after delivery for a perfect fit.

Speaking

Reading aloud or talking to yourself at home can help you get used to speaking with dentures. If certain words are tricky, practicing them helps. Sometimes denture wearers have a slight lisp initially; this typically resolves as the tongue adapts. Using a bit of denture adhesive in the early days can help stabilize the dentures while speaking (and eating) until you’re more secure with them.

Night Wear

Dentists will usually recommend that you do not sleep with dentures in, especially full dentures. Your gums need time to rest and breath. Continuous wear can lead to fungal infections like denture stomatitis. Remove them at night, clean them (and soak in water or denture cleaning solution), and clean your gums and tongue gently with a soft brush or cloth. However, if you have immediate dentures (just after extractions), you might be advised to keep them in for the first 24 hours to help limit swelling. At Nuvodent, we’ll advise based on your situation.