Dentures are prosthetic devices designed to replace missing teeth. They are available in two basic types – complete and partial.

Complete dentures cover the whole teeth, whereas partial dentures are applied only to the missing two to three teeth.

You can opt for either conventional or immediate dentures. Conventional dentures are available after a few weeks of preparation. It usually takes about 8 to 12 weeks, after which they can be placed in the mouth. Whereas, the immediate dentures are ready for placement in the mouth after the tooth is extracted from the mouth.

Denutres can last a very long time if the patient takes good care of them. They should be properly cleansed and kept in a hygienic condition.

Dentures are made out of porcelain material and it will take some time to get used to wearing them.  Let us try to understand some ways in which the patient can get comfortable wearing dentures.

Dietary restriction

Although dentures are made out of durable material, it will take some time for the patient to eat hard foods like nuts, crackers, etc. The patient should opt for a diet that includes soft, easily chewable foods while the dentures are new.

The patient should also avoid eating sweet and sticky foods as these can stick to the teeth and can be pretty hard to remove. Sweet substances also could permanently damage the structure of the dentures as they could stick to the surface.

As the patient starts to become comfortable with the dental dentures, he or she may slowly start including hard foods to start resuming the normal diet. This may take a few weeks.

Denture adhesive

When the dentures are newly provided to the patient, it may take some time for it to completely fit and stay in the mouth. During this time, the patient can use an adhesive manufactured especially for dentures to make them stick on the gums.

This will help the patient become more used to wearing the dentures. Once the patient becomes accustomed to putting dentures daily and experiences no irritation, they can stop using denture adhesive and start wearing dentures on their own.

Remove them at regular intervals

When the dentures are new, they may irritate the mouth as the patient is not used to wearing them. Also, if the patient’s gums are affected due to the procedure of tooth extraction, they must be given time to heal. It is possible the gums have become sore and sensitive, so removing the dentures for a few hours a day can help in healing the gums.

Dentists recommend removing dentures for at least 6 hours a day when they are new. When the gums have adjusted and are no longer sore, the patient can start wearing dentures for long periods of time without interruption.

Dental visits

The patient should start observing the mouth for any signs of discomfort when starting to wear new dentures. Feeling irritation, itching, and inflammation for the first few days is normal and expected. However, if the feeling of discomfort persists after a few days, the patient should immediately contact the dentist.

The gums should also be closely observed. If the gum inflammation and irritation do not tone down in a few days, it may be time to see your dentist.

Also, if any other issues like bleeding, improper fitting of the dentures, etc. arise, the patient should talk to the dentist. This way the dentist ensures that the dentures are functioning properly and the patient will slowly start to become comfortable with the dental dentures.

Maintain the dentures

The patient should properly take care of dentures to ensure their functionality and longevity. If the patient takes good care of the dentures, they may last up to a decade.

It is advised to clean the dentures using a toothbrush and denture-cleaning solution. Obviously, the dentures must be removed from the mouth for cleaning and also during sleeping.

Whenever the dentures are removed from the mouth, they must be stored in a denture-cleaning solution or a small container of water. This will ensure that all the food article particles get removed from the dentures.

Practicing all these methods will make the patient accustomed to wearing the dentures on a daily basis and will keep the dentures clean and strong.

Exercise the cheeks

On the inside of the cheeks, there are muscles present that facilitate the swooping of food inside the mouth. These muscles can be trained to chew better and this will help the dentures in chewing properly and will provide them additional strength and support. When the facial muscles are strengthened, they help the dentures to adjust well into the mouth.

Patients are advised to chew on both the left and right side of the mouth simultaneously instead of chewing only from one side. Also, patients are supposed to eat the food in small pieces to avoid damaging the dentures.

Read aloud

Perhaps the most common problem faced by patients while getting used to dentures is speech difficulties. When the dentures are new, the structure of the dentures may cause some irritation and this may hinder the speech. To get past this, the patients are advised to read aloud or talk aloud to get used to speaking with dentures. Singing aloud may also help. This will help the dentures in opening more and will allow them for greater flexibility.

Also, to combat speech difficulties, the patients are advised to drink a lot of water to enhance saliva production. It will provide lubrication to the dentures and will promote easy speaking.