What to do if Your New Dentures are Irritating You
Dentures are an excellent solution for damaged or missing teeth. They can significantly improve your day to day life by allowing you to eat more of the foods you like and boosting your confidence in social situations.
However, you may have to make minor lifestyle adjustments and it’ll take some time for your mouth to get used to your new teeth. Mild pain and discomfort during the adjustment period is normal.
Irritation is most commonly experienced while speaking or eating — with a little bit of practice, you should be able to do both with minimal irritation.
If your new dentures are bothering you, don’t stress. In this article, we’ll discuss a few ways to minimize pain and discomfort so your transition to dentures is as smooth as possible.
Practice Makes Perfect
Speaking
For new denture wearers, speaking can be challenging at first. Dentures can feel unusual in your mouth when trying to pronounce certain words.
Initially, you may notice slight changes in your pronunciation or voice. Remember, you hear your own voice through vibrations in your jaw and skull — dentures can affect the way your voice reverberates through your head.
One of the best ways to practice speaking with dentures is to read a book out loud to yourself. Swallow before speaking to ensure that your dentures are in place and speak slowly.
Record yourself to see how you may sound to others and hear what sounds you need to improve upon.
Keep in mind, you’re your own worst critic — small differences in your voice will be much more apparent to yourself than they are to friends and family.
Eating
Your new dentures may cause some discomfort when eating. You may notice pressure points, sore spots, or feel like chewing is difficult.
Like speaking, the best thing you can do is practice at home. Choose soft foods that are easy to eat and work your way up to foods that require more chewing to breakdown. Take small bites and eat patiently. Make sure your food has been thoroughly chewed before swallowing.
Your mouth will get used to dentures — most pressure points and sore spots should disappear over time. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to eat more of your favourite foods and eat out with confidence.
If the pain and discomfort persist, you may need to get your dentures adjusted.
Get Your Dentures Adjusted
With practice, most of the pain and discomfort associated with dentures should go away after a few weeks.
However, our mouths are constantly changing. Your dentures may need an adjustment from time to time to accommodate these changes. If your dentures continue to be a source of irritation in your life, visit our denture professionals to ensure your dentures are fitting properly.
Often, it only takes a small adjustment to reduce pressure points and sore spots. Your comfort is our number one priority — we want all of our patients to leave with a smile.
Are you having trouble with the fit of your dentures? Visit the Denture & Implant Centre today to make sure your dentures fit as comfortably as possible.
