Dentures for the first time

Pages on a personal experience of wearing dentures for the first time

Dentures - The things you read Are they true?

There are changes you'll notice, but othing too bad

   PAGES -  Starter Page      Find the right Dentist      Fitting new Dentures
Getting used to Dentures      After Care      Fact or Fiction?

If you're like most people who are undergoing a major change, you'll be circum-navigating the Web looking for every variation of what to expect. I did!!
You read what 'The Experts' and various Dentistry Websites say and wonder if it's true. Here's my two pennies worth.

Your Tastes will change
The answer is no, HOWEVER, what you do find is because certain favourite foods may be harder to eat for a while, you go for the easier options.
For example, you may enjoy Rump Steak but because of your new Dentures, you have Fish instead, something you may not have eaten a lot.
What happened with me was I actually liked it!
You also find yourself trying other things as well and all too often, easier to eat options are the more healthy things anyway.

You will master eating with Dentures quite easily?
Not altogether true. It is a learning process, as simple as that.
You find little tricks which help.
For example, it's really hard eating Green Salad, it won't be bitten through and sticks around the Dentures
Answer is to wrap it around a piece of meat or fish, then eat it. After a while it's OK.
You'll also find you chew for longer - and that has to be healthy.
It can start with a 'chop like' action, but practice makes perfect. A lot depends on the fit of the Dentures and whether you're using Fixative or not.

You may have problems with the bottom teeth
Yes. These are held by gravity rather than the top one's which are held by saliva suction.
Using a good Fixative will help no end.

Fixatives work
Yes they do, but don't take the 'lasts all day' too seriously.
I've found that by fixing at least one hour before you eat is best. That gives them time to settle in with you talking and generally acting normally.
If you fix them too close to eating, they will become tacky and loose. This will then cause lots of bits to get underneath and make eating painful, especially if you're in company and can't fiddle around with them!

It will affect your looks
Greatly, you'll look a new person - except - whereas before you could feel bits of food left on your teeth after eating, you may not do so now.
Hopefully you have a decent friend who points out you have a lettuce leaf accross the front of your teeth after eating.
A good plan of action is to pay a visit to the Bathroom immediately after eating and having a look!

The things you miss
These are probably only the bad things. It's nice eating a juicy Steak and feeling the ooze and juices between your natural teeth.
With Dentures, this goes and you only feel that around the outside.
The only other thing you may miss is air! You go outside on a nice fresh morning, breathe through your mouth and it goes all round your gums. This won't be quite the same, but if you're having Dentures, this would have probably caused pain before anyway.

Finally I'd just say, don't expect everything to be hunky dory overnight. It takes quite a while for the body and mind to adapt to having something alien inside you, especially the mouth.
But the negatives are far outweighed by the positives. Your new looks will give you more confidence socially and this in turn brings about better health and wellbeing.

Eating this not long after having new dentures may be a problem. But it's what you eat with it that helps

Eating this will be easier BUT, maybe it's this which lost you the original teeth anyways!

Does it help to chew on both sides?
Yes it does. It may seem a strange thing to think of, but chew on one side and the other side pops out!

Someone said to me "Practice eating a peanut with your dentures. Master that and you' master anything!"

As we get older, our needs change and we have to make sure that our habits change with them. One thing remains constant, though: keep having regular check-ups. Whether you still have all your teeth or if you have dentures, it's important that you keep seeing a dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are in the best possible health. (BDA Smile)
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