New to Dentures? Here Are 7 Tips to Make Eating Easier

Dentures in Pittsburg are custom-made, realistic-looking dental applications that fit securely in your mouth to replace missing teeth. They’re a quick and affordable way to get back to enjoying your beautiful, intact smile. While you may look and feel great with your new set of teeth, it may take a week or so to get used to eating with them. Here are seven simple tips to keep in mind as you learn how to navigate your daily diet with your new smile.

Tip #1 Give Yourself a Soft Start

Chewing hard, solid foods with your dentures right away could hurt your sensitive gums. Instead, give them a few days to adjust by sticking to soft foods like apple sauce, pudding, mashed potatoes, and soup.

Tip #2 Mind How You Munch

Many people tend to do most of their chewing on one side of their mouth without even realizing it. However, uneven chewing could cause your dentures to slip out of place. Start off by eating slowly and make a conscious effort to chew with both sides of your mouth simultaneously.

Tip #3 Test the Temperature of Your Food

Dentures insulate your mouth well, which makes it more difficult for you to determine how hot something is until it’s already in your mouth. Check the temperature with tiny sips or bites before you enjoy things like hot chocolate, soup, or pizza.

Tip #4 Take it Easy on Tough Foods

Foods that are sticky or tough to chew, like steak, peanut butter, and gum, can be a challenge to eat with dentures. Try to go with softer alternatives like stewed beef, chicken, and creamy peanut butter.

Tip #5 Start with Small Bites

As you learn to chew with your dentures, cut your food into small pieces. Not only will this make chewing much easier, but it will put less pressure on your gums as they adjust.

Tip #6 Drink Plenty of Water

Some foods like grain breads and cereal can easily get stuck to your teeth and eventually get between your dentures and your gums to cause irritation and infection. Make sure to eat them with a glass of water or other liquid to rinse away any leftover bits and pieces.

Tip #7 A Little Soreness Is to Be Expected

Dentures can help you regain functions that you lost because of missing teeth, but they still take some time to get used to. Be patient with yourself and remember that some soreness in your jaw and gums at first is normal. However, if you continue to be uncomfortable for several weeks, the pain is severe, or if you develop sores on your gums, see your “dentist near me” right away for adjustments.

Learning how to chew with your dentures is no simple undertaking, but it’s much easier than dealing with the health complications of missing teeth. With a little patience and these simple tips, you should be able to get back to eating without a second thought in no time!

About the Author

Dr. Dan Rairigh of Advanced Dental Solutions of Pittsburg has helped rebuild thousands of confident, functional, and happy smiles all over Pittsburg, PA. He is proud to use state-of-the-art technology, the most advanced techniques, and the highest quality materials to build superior tooth replacement options like dentures. If you have more questions about your new dentures, feel free to contact him via his website or at (412) 854-2310.