denture-comfort

What to expect when you start wearing dentures

It can take time to get accustomed to your new dentures and may be 4-8 weeks before you are completely used to them. They may seem very bulky at first and feel as if they are pushing your lips out, but this is perfectly normal and the feeling will subside in due course.

You will probably salivate a lot more when you first start wearing dentures, especially if you are wearing dentures for the first time. This is a natural bodily response to something being placed in your mouth and soon subsides. Sipping and swallowing water will reduce the buildup of saliva in your mouth. Removing your dentures at night is the ideal time to give your gums a rest, but personal circumstance may mean this isn’t appropriate.

Some rest from the dentures every day is advisable, so try and do this when you get a private moment.

Comfort and fit

Your new dentures may need to be adjusted slightly after they are fitted. They may rub against the inside of your mouth and cause sores or even small ulcers. If the fit doesn’t feel quite right and is causing you discomfort, you should go back to the Clinical Dental Technician so they can make you more comfortable.

Adjustments and sore areas

The size and shape of your new dentures will be different from your old set. It is perfectly normal for you to develop small pressure points and sore spots under and around your new denture base during the first few days of wear. A warm salt water rinse gives relief to any sore areas.

Should discomfort continue, small adjustments can be made to the fitting surface of the dentures. If the irritation becomes too painful, stop wearing the dentures and consult your Clinical Dental Technician.

In most cases, a new partial denture will be supported by your natural teeth and gums. If you are wearing a partial denture for the first time, especially one that replaces your back teeth and has minimal tooth support, you may experience some slight soreness on your gums while you adjust.

You should not bite your partial dentures into place as this may cause damage to your mouth, make your dentures loose or eventually break them. Instead, follow the insertion and removal advice provided by your Clinical Dental Technician.

Always make time for adjustments as this will help you adapt to the dentures much quicker.

Eating

Getting used to eating with your dentures will take time and some practice. Your cheeks, lips and tongue need to adapt to the shape of the denture base and the new position of the denture teeth.

Eating is always problematic when you start wearing dentures and it takes a while before you can start eating normally. For the first few days you should definitely avoid hard, crunchy and sticky foods, such as raw vegetables, crisps and meat. You should stick to soft foods that are easy to chew, eat slowly and cut food up into small pieces. Although we have a natural tendency to favour one side of the mouth when we chew, try to use both sides, as this helps to stop the dentures being pulled out of position. Also, try to avoid tearing or cutting into food with your front teeth.

If you are a complete denture wearer try following some advice from our denture experts to make your adjustment period much easier:

  • Chew up and down, rather than from side to side
  • Cut your food into small pieces and eat slowly
  • Chew on both sides of your mouth at the same time
  • Avoid bringing the lower front denture teeth forward against the upper front denture teeth
  • When eating out for the first time avoid crunchy and sticky foods
  • Have a glass of water with your meal. This will reduce the amount of food sticking to your dentures

Speaking

Wearing dentures will initially affect your speech, but it may not be as noticeable to other people as you think. Your tongue, lips and cheeks need to adjust to having dentures in your mouth. Practice pronouncing words and reading aloud for the first few days, until you have got more used to the dentures.

Keeping you old dentures safe

Even if your old dentures were visually poor and badly fitting, you should keep them as a spare. You new dentures may require adjustments that require you being without them for a day, so to have a replacement set can save any worries.

Taking care of your dentures

It is important to clean your dentures every day to prevent the buildup of stains and to maintain good oral hygiene. Most of the problems that denture wearers encounter are due to not taking care of them properly. They should be cleaned with a soft bristled brush and denture cream after removing them at night and again before you put them back in the next day.

Avoid cleaning them with toothpaste because it is too abrasive and may damage the surface of the dentures. They should be soaked in cold water overnight and you can add cleaning solution if you wish to help remove stains. Ideally, dentures shouldn’t be left to dry out for too long and never put them in boiling hot water, as they may become warped. You must also remember to clean your tongue, gums and the roof of your mouth every day to keep your mouth healthy.

19 thoughts on “Getting Used to Wearing Dentures

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  2. Hi, my old denture was nhs but always fitted fine. I had complete front denture with two teeth either side. On one side I had to have the two teeth removed , this left my denture unstable. My dentist advised I have a new denture, as this one was over two years old and made to fit with the teeth either side. This all got delayed due to Covid. When dentists opened up again in July, I went back to be fitted for the new denture. He did advise, that due to Covid, they couldn’t do nhs. I agreed to have a private one made and opted for metal rather 5han plastic. I had to have many fittings. Eventually we had adventure. Looked lovely when I smiled but, couldn’t eat talk properly as it was on the move. It was much too big in my mouth, the roof part was almost to the back. Any, this is still on going for adjustments over the past 4 months. It still doesn’t fit right, wobbles, fills up with food and uncomfortable when I eat. The last time it went for adjustment he covered all the metal in plastic and I have a thin ridge around it. Should this be correct, surely if it’s metal it shouldn’t have then been coated with plastic to see if that made it fit better. This cost a lot of money and I’m not sure what I sho7ld be doing about it. Wearing this for 4 months has shown no improvement at all.

    Look forward to any suggestions

    Lorraine nobes

  3. I really feel for you! I had all my lower teeth extracted in October 2020 and am still struggling with the denture. Was back at my dentist today and she is ‘realigning’ this. Am miserable – can’t eat properly and usually end up with indigestion and trapped wind at night time and can’t sleep. Had to have it made privately due to Covid. Have been advised that an implant retained denture would be the answer but don’t have £7k to fund this!Have been told to persevere and eventually will be OK. See you have written this in March, Lorraine so hope things have improved.

  4. I have taken the implant route to solve the many difficulties of having a lower denture. Hall all my lower teeth removed 3 years ago. Tried all sorts of fixatives, powders, strips but to no avail. Worked for a bit – but then denture would have a life of it’s own, embarassing.

    My dentist suggested dental implants that could fix the problem but I would need to referred to a sepcialist and if accepted to pay circa £5000. for treatment.

    Using life savings, I had enough to cover this to have undergone implant treatment. It is challenging and takes several months from start to finish, you need to be patient (and also undergo some short term discomfort and keep to strict oral hygeine care).

    To date 5 months on, following some hiccups in treatment, albeit explained known possible side effects of implant treatment, the end of the rainbow is in sight. At the moment denture is working and is firmly in place over implant studs. Easy to remove and to clean. Also need to remove for a few hours to let gum rest (at night).

    It has taken some time, journey not the best but then again worthwhile when you feel you have a full lower jaw of teeth that can eat, chew etc without any movement or coming undone. Speech fine, no whistling etc

  5. I have had a set of upper dentures made had to pay private 5.5k thought I was getting dentures on wire instead got a cobalt chrome denture which has evil wires each side and covers the whole of roof of mouth can’t eat properly or taste food really upset with it

  6. I just started wearing a upper partial 8 days ago. I can’t eat with them like I wanna. So I go to bathroom remove them and eat. When I’m done I go back to bathroom and insert. They fit perfectly I don’t have a problem with them at all. I love my partials. Just gotta learn how to eat with them

  7. Hi, nearly 18 months since I wrote about ill fitting denture. Still no improvement. During this time I have waited for hospital dental appointments. They advised they were badly fitted and to go back to dentist. Dentist have just fobbed me off with all different excuses, filing them down several times. I have now give up.

  8. I’m just on the verge of having ALL my teeth out and dentures fitted, I am scared shirtless can’t anyone help?

  9. Was hoping encouragement as I am havingg all myt teeth out next week and I’m shirtless, can anyone help with a positive comment

  10. Hi sandra..its awful, isn’t it ? But you know what? Thank God for masks. Could wear these once teeth are out, sort yourself out a menu of nice stuff to eat that’s soft. And when you get your dentures you’ll be fine. I just had a partial smallish thing done just an hour ago, and yes, it is uncomfortable but you will get used to it. I guess it makes a difference how old you are. If you’re old like me, what can we do? Loads of people have this done and if they can do it, so can we!

  11. Hi Sandra. I had my top teeth out mid august and the bottoms taken out over two days two weeks ago and tbh the discomfort wasn’t too bad. It bled a lot and was too uncomfortable to wear my dentures all that much for the best part of a week. The top denture looks ok but my bottom was too big so it didn’t sit right but I’ve had this trimmed a bit today and it looks better now. For everything else I won’t lie it’s slow progress. I can’t talk with the dentures in all that well and eating and drinking are far easier with them out. I’m falling back on the countless stories that tell us it will get easier in time. The extraction isn’t fun but it’s not a horror film either and took about 30 mins for the top and about 20mins each time on the bottom. Take pain meds, rest up and you will get through it. Hope that helps a little

  12. I’m having to have my teeth removed and dentures fitted same time I’m just looking for tips on how to speak properly again any advice would be gratefully recieved

  13. Hi I just got fixed dentures fitted today.. the dentist fitted them by fixing them using the front teeth for support. I had lost my back teeth. However my front teeth were fine except for some teeth which were paining.

    I am able to speak properly

    But eating with the fixed dentures was very uncomfortable

    I hope the discomfort does not last long

  14. I have a single front tooth on a plate I can’t close my mouth fully will this correct its self in time

  15. My theeth had week and is hard to get out and sometime they bleeding and hardstanding put in they hurt and is a bit uncomfortable

  16. I’ve just got a partial denture. 1 front tooth and 1 side tooth. I’m doing ok so far but there’s a small space between my original front tooth and my new denture which is causing a slight whistle with certain words. I’m still relatively young so quite embarrassed about this

  17. Looking for some advice . I had the remaining of my top teeth out yesterday and a full top denture. I had my back teeth out over a year ago so had to use my front teeth for chewing. Now I have my plate my bottom molars are hitting the back of the denture plate. Is this normal ? Am I just not used to having back molars so is it just that or do I need to get the plate filed down?

  18. It’s Sunday today. On Thursday last week I had 6 teeth removed, then a full top denture fitted. So 3.5 days after fitting, and eating has improved, although difficult. Speech is 95% the letter S is a constant irritation.
    1st two days were awful. But, following dentist advice I have kept the denture in 24hrs per day and gums are healing well. I take them out to clean after every meal. Perseverance is ghe key.

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