3 Things You Can Do To Hasten Acclimation To Your New Dentures
Posted on: 22 November 2016
Dentures are an awesome tool that can help you lead a normal, happy life without natural teeth, but getting used to wearing them will take some time. Here are a few things you can do to hasten the acclimation process:
Practice with Night Guards
Before you receive your dentures, you can practice getting used to wearing the prosthetics in your mouth by practicing with plastic night guards or whitening teeth trays. Simply put the guards or trays in your mouth throughout the day for a few minutes at a time while you're watching television or doing chores around the house. There isn't a need to wear them at night while you sleep because you likely won't be wearing your dentures then.
Wearing them overnight may also irritate your gums and make the prospect of wearing dentures less attractive. Because of this, it's a good idea to stick with daytime hours and take them out any time your gums start to feel irritated. They'll likely get irritated quickly at first, but with some practice, you should be able to keep them in for hours at a time without any discomfort.
Plan a Wear Schedule
It's important to create a wear schedule to follow once your bring your new dentures home so you don't get overwhelmed by trying to keep them in your mouth all day long. It will take some time to get used to talking and eating while wearing your dentures, so don't expect them to feel natural right away. Schedule a few hours of wear each day for the first couple of weeks. Once you can easily follow the schedule without feeling like it's a chore, you should be ready to start wearing them from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep at night.
Create a Special Meal Plan
Eating will probably be pretty uncomfortable for the first few days after you begin to wear your dentures, so consider creating a special meal plan to follow for a week or so. Your meal plan should include soft foods that are easy to chew and don't require a lot of jaw power to eat. Things like omelets, mashed potatoes, soup, smoothies, and beans are all good options. Stay away from crunchy foods such as chips, or hard-to-chew items like gummy bears. Create your meal plan ahead of time so you can shop for your meals and fill your kitchen cupboards before bringing your dentures home.
These tips and tricks should help make it easier to get accustomed to your dentures so you aren't left feeling overwhelmed or disappointed.
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