Any prosthetic has an adjustment period, and dentures are certainly no different. While they restore your smile right away, speaking and eating with them can take some getting used to. Luckily, with a little practice, your new chompers will feel right at home in your mouth. Here are a few tips for the first several weeks.

How to Adjust to Daily Life With Dentures

1. Set Realistic Expectations

In the long run, well-fitted dentures are going to feel like a natural part of your mouth. Before you can get to that point, there will be some initial discomfort as your mouth adjusts. You may feel soreness in your gums from unfamiliar friction as well as some discomfort in your cheek and jaw muscles, which haven’t been used this way before. These symptoms will ease in time as long as you keep using your prosthetic, so it's important to remind yourself that they're natural sensations.

2. Adapt Your Eating Habits

When you have natural teeth that are in good shape, you can bite into hard and crunchy foods with your front teeth, and sticky candy isn't much of an issue. However, these are the activities that often cause dentures to pop loose. When starting out, choose softer foods and either cut them into small pieces or bite into them with the side of your mouth. 

As you get more used to your new teeth, you may be able to reintroduce some moderately crunchy foods. Dentures supported by dental implants are also more secure and may make it easier to eat as normal.

3. Sing to Improve Your Speech

The best way to get better at speaking with dentures is to practice. Conversations can help, but singing is even more effective. It gives you a way to keep going for minutes at a time without interruption and without having to come up with new things to say. Keeping up with a song’s tempo also helps you practice talking at a normal rate. Every day, put on the radio or your favorite album and sing along when you’re alone.

For quality dentures in Saint Charles, MO, choose Elm Dental Care. Serving the New Town area with over a decade of experience, they're committed to continuing education and offer many advanced treatment technologies, including CEREC same-day crowns, 3D dental imaging, and dental implants. For a list of special offers, visit their website or call (636) 916-4848.