Chewing with Partial Dentures
When you are missing natural teeth, and you have decided to replace them with partial dentures, you may question just how similar your partial dentures will be to your natural teeth. You may have questions about eating with your new partial dentures and will your new partial denture make life easier or harder. Following are some points of interest about replacing natural teeth with partial dentures to make your decision easier about tooth replacement.
Chewing with Partial Dentures
This is a common question, since most people are unfamiliar with how the partial dentures work in the mouth. Partial dentures are a dental appliance which is custom molded to fit your mouth, providing you with both a functional and aesthetic restoration for missing teeth. It can be a little challenging to get used to the feeling of partial dentures, and there might be some new sensations with chewing, but once you adjust you will never want to be without them again.
Yes, you can eat with partial dentures. There will be a period of adjustment while you get used to the new feeling in your mouth. It is best to take some time staying with soft foods that do not require a lot of chewing and extra jaw force. Once you are used to your new dentures you will be able to enjoy your favorite foods without issues.
Eating with New Partial Dentures
New partial dentures can be a challenge, as you get used to cleaning them, smiling with them, and simply adjusting to having them in your mouth. Eating with your new partial dentures is naturally going to cause some minor difficulty, just because certain foods will cause more problems than others.
Eating with your new partial dentures will require you to be slow and deliberate and to make sure you are focusing on both chewing properly and keeping your dentures in place.
Chew slowly and take smaller bites as you adjust to your new partial dentures so you will not risk moving your dentures out of their proper position.
The Benefits of Eating with Partial Dentures
At first, your partial denture will be a little awkward. Having a foreign object in the place of your teeth will not feel natural for a few weeks. Over time you will become more used to wearing it. It is recommended that you wear your partial denture as much as possible when you first get it. This is so your dentist can make small adjustments to make sure the fit is as comfortable as possible. The primary reason your partial denture might be wiggling around while you are eating is because of an improper fit. Schedule an appointment with your dentist to review your fit.
During your first month with a partial denture, cut up your food into smaller bites. This will simply help you become comfortable eating with your new denture. As you become more comfortable and confident, you can start adding different foods into your diet. Depending on the location of your partial denture, you might still have some difficulty eating particularly chewy, sticky, or hard foods.