Do your new dentures feel strange? Do they slip in your mouth mid-chew? Are you just plain frustrated? That’s understandable! Dentures are a life-changing solution for missing teeth – unfortunately, life-changing solutions often come with an adjustment period. Eating is likely to be a challenge at first, especially when you’re hangry.
Don’t worry, these easy to digest, bite-sized tips will help hold you over until you become an eating-with-dentures master.
Start Nice and Squishy
A soft food diet probably doesn’t seem exciting. However, squishy carbs and forgiving snacks will be easier to practice with than other options. Plus, they’ll help you avoid sore gums! Here are some tasty suggestions that tend to be overlooked:
- Mashed or scalloped potatoes
- Applesauce with cinnamon
- Flakey fish
- Ground meatloaf
- Versatile pastas
- Pancakes with whipped cream
- Milkshakes and malts
- Yogurt and honey
These days, you can find plenty of unique recipes online. Surfing the internet or polling your friends for ideas will help you keep your meal rotations fresh.
Think Small, Eat Small
Pulling, tugging, and tearing at large pieces of food are likely to result in denture slippage. During your first week or so, it’s also a good way to leave the dinner table with oral aches. Simply cutting your portions into smaller bites will make chewing much, much easier. Reducing tougher foods down to size can also help you transition away from your soft and squishy diet.
Have Your Mouth Take Turns
When your meals are in these tiny chunks, try to chew so that the left and right sides of your mouth share the work. Typically, people prefer one side over the other. However, this can strain denture-carrying gums, and uneven bites can make operating your false teeth more difficult. Carefully alternate between oral sides or spread the food so you can chew equally.
Use Denture Adhesive
Just like other adhesives, denture adhesive helps with stickiness. It comes in many forms, but whether you try a cream, powder, or strip, applying it to your false teeth can encourage them to stay on your gums. Just be sure to purchase a product specifically for dentures, and follow the package instructions!
Better Than a Fortune Cookie: Your Dentist
Your dentist is a professional, which means their advice is much more solid than fortune-cookie solutions you might find elsewhere. If you’re having a rough time eating with your new dentures, ask them for more tips. They’ll offer concrete suggestions so you can enjoy more food – and a fuller stomach!
About the Author
Dr. Aliana Henkin has many specialties, one of which is restorative dental treatments like dentures. If there’s life-altering tips for learning to eat with new dentures, she’ll know about it! Besides being highly qualified, Dr. Henkin is also known for her gentle and compassionate nature. She knows adjusting to new oral tools can be challenging and will do her best to help you feel comfortable and confident. To contact her office, call 973-949-0925.