When someone has lost their teeth after an injury or illness, it can be hard to feel confident while wearing dentures. Living with dentures is a major adjustment that gets easier with time.
In this blog post, we will give our top five tips for first-time denture wearers so you can make an easier transition. For more information, we recommend you speak with a reputable family dentist in your area.
Never Let Your Dentures Dry Out
Your natural teeth are never dry because they are constantly bathed by the saliva in your mouth. Likewise, your dentures should always be submerged in water or a denture cleanser soaking solution. Dentures that have been allowed to dry out will warp and crack. Since dentures are an investment in your smile and oral health, it’s important to make sure your dentures always remain wet.
Brush Your Dentures
Just like you brush your natural teeth, you will need to brush your dentures. Over time, plague and odor-causing bacteria can build up on your dentures and give you bad breath. Food particles can also linger and create stains on your new dental restoration. Brushing your dentures daily will help ensure you have a beautiful happy smile for years to come. A knowledgeable Seville dentist will be more than happy to teach you how to brush your new dental restoration.
Brush Your Gums and Tongue
Did you know that your gums are just are important as your natural teeth for maintaining good oral health? Bacteria left to fester in the mouth can cause gum disease if you don’t brush on a daily basis. Among adults, gingivitis is especially common. It only makes sense that you would want the gums that your dentures sit on to be as healthy as possible. The soft toothbrush bristles also help stimulate your gums.
Practice Talking
Don’t be discouraged if you have difficulty saying certain words. This is perfectly normal for people who have just started wearing dentures. Your lips, cheeks, and tongue will have to adjust to speaking with new dentures. Rest assured you won’t always speak with a lisp. In the meantime, we recommend reading aloud one of your favorite books to practice pronunciation. Any experienced dentist would advise you the more you practice speaking with your new dentures, the better.
Be Prepared for Slippage
Most of the time, your dentures should be a perfect fit to your mouth so that you can feel confident while eating and talking. However, abrupt movements can cause your dentures to slip slightly. Denture slippage is usually caused by sneezing, coughing, laughing, or even smiling. When you feel your dentures slipping, we recommend gently biting down and swallowing. This will help adjust your dentures so that they slide back into optimal alignment.
If you are interested in our full or partial denture services, please feel free to schedule an appointment with our Seville OH dentistat (330) 769-4470. Dr. Joseph G. Landry II DDS runs an experienced family dentistry dedicated to helping patients feel confident with their new smiles after dentures.