Denture Advice for New Dentures and Denture Wearers:

Firstly, rest assured, as part of your denture treatment, we are here to help you transition and adapt to your new dentures as much as possible. Patients who plan to test their new dentures with steak for dinner on the first night may be heading for a disappointment, it is unrealistic to assume that masticatory dexterity will spontaneously descend upon you with your new dentures. Patience and learning are required. Some people adapt quickly, whereas others may need more time. At first you may have feeling of a ”mouth full “ with your lips, cheeks and tongue having to cope with a new appliance. Your speech may feel different and eating may be a challenge. New things are always strange. You will soon become accustomed to your new dentures .

With all lower dentures there is a tendency at first for the tongue and associated muscles of function to displace it. A helpful tip is to rest your tongue on the floor of your mouth with the tip of your tongue resting on the back of the dentures front teeth, this may help to keep the lower denture in place, particularly when you open your mouth wide and may create a helpful habit that could assist in  denture retention and stabilisation

Any involuntary action such as yawning and sneezing will tend to unseat dentures. A good precaution in this case is to cover mouth with your hand or your handkerchief. If you experience motion sickness, nausea or vomiting, remove your dentures at once and keep them in a safe place until you recover.

(it is always advisable to keep a spare set with you when travelling, in case of emergencies).

Denture wearers who have not attended clinics for regular check ups and denture assessments for extended periods of time may find that the older, now worn and ill fitting dentures, though still comfortable through adaptation, may be causing more long term damage to soft tissue and may not realise the inefficiency in function and so the provision of new dentures presents a steeper learning curve and a prolonged period of adaptation. Wearing dentures is a learned experience and requires a positive mind set initially. Full or complete lower dentures always pose a challenge for new denture wearers as they would have to contend with the tongue, cheeks and facial muscles with a very small area of denture support anatomy to maintain the denture in place.

 

Soon after Fitting:

• If you have had extractions keep your dentures in for the first 24 hrs

• You will feel that you have a mouth full, this is natural and expected and will improve

• There may be an increase in saliva production

• Sucking a sweet (sugar free) may help with adaptation and accommodation of a new denture

• Expect sore spots to develop during this initial period, these are easily adjusted in a few minutes and the relief and change can be felt immediately. Denture adjustments are based on feedback after an itial denture delivery and after you have had the opportunity to try to function with them.

• Do not persevere through pain. If a traumatic ulcer develops as a result of you persevering through pain, then when you attend the clinic there will already be pain and swelling and this will make it difficult to adjust your denture accurately as well as the possibility of gaps appearing when the swelling subsides.

Eating with your new dentures:

• Using dentures will never be as efficient as eating with natural teeth because they are not anchored in like your natural teeth

• With new dentures there is often the feeling of a mouth full so it is advisable to cut your food into smaller pieces to begin with and possibly start with softer foods

• Biting foods with the front teeth requires skill and may dislodge dentures at first

• Avoid sticky foods such as toffees

Talking with new dentures:

• The feeling of 'fullness' will reduce with time

• Talking will be strange at first however adjusting takes time, be patient and practice in front of a mirror

• Some oral and facial muscles will need to be re-educated for the different space being occupied by the new dentures

Do's and Don'ts:

• The underlying soft oral tissues also need a 'rest'

• It is advisable not to leave your dentures in for the first 24hr hours unless you have had extractions at the time of fitting the dentures

• Don't persevere with sore spots which may lead to ulcers, call us at the clinic and arrange to come in for an adjustment

• If possible do not leave your dentures in at night while you sleep. Why? because some small partials and lower dentures are possible to swallow!

 

Cleaning your mouth and your dentures:

• Cleanse and massage your dentures and gums daily with a soft toothbrush

• Clean your dentures either by using a toothbrush or with a 'denture cream', preferably not normal toothpaste as these can often contain abrasives. Fairy liquid or anything similar would be useful.

• Do not soak overnight in steradent or similar products as they do bleach and weaken dentures over time. However, a few minutes a day would be helpful and then rinse and soak in normal water.