How to Make Eating with Dentures Easy

When people first get their dentures, there’s an adjustment phase that every patient will go through. While this prosthetic will make it much easier to do everything in your life, from eating to talking, but relearning how to do these things effortlessly will take a little bit of time.

Of course, being able to eat with your prosthetic isn’t necessarily something you can wait on; you’ll need have some food eventually, so it’s important that you learn how to do that. Here are a few tips that could potentially help you adjust a bit faster.

Starting Soft

Initially, it may be a good idea to start with a soft food diet. This will give you a chance to get used to your new prosthetic and still get the nutrition that you need.

The easiest way to do this is to adopt a “mechanical” soft food diet, which involves taking foods that you would normally eat and blending/chopping/mincing them to minimize chewing. You can also incorporate more naturally soft foods, like eggs and applesauce.

Tips for Eating Solid Foods

Naturally, most people can’t survive on soft foods forever. That being the case, you’ll have to gradually transition back to harder foods eventually. Here are a few tips to keep in mind during this process:

• Take your time when you eat
• Cut your foods into smaller pieces that can be eaten much more easily.
• Drink plenty of liquids. This will soften up the foods that you’re eating, making the process of chewing much easier.
• Chew with both sides of your mouth. This prevents one part of your dentures from bearing the full brunt of chewing, and keeps your gums from getting tired.

Foods To Avoid

Even once you’re comfortable eating solid foods, there are some things that it’s probably still smart not to eat. Some of the tougher meats, for example, can be a little bit problematic to eat with dentures even under the best of circumstances. The same goes for gummy or chewy candies, as well as sticky foods like peanut butter. These can easily cause the prosthetic to become dislodged.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey F. Hermen puts a lot of work into ensuring that there prosthetics you receive from him are meticulously crafted to fit you. However, he knows that this doesn’t do any good unless the care you get is just as personalized, which is why he forms strong relationships with each of his patients. Dr. Hermen received his dental degree from The OU College of Dentistry, and has trained extensively in a variety of dental contexts sense.

If you have any questions about dentures, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (405) 621-2100.