Not only will dentures improve your appearance and make eating easier. They will also improve your speech. The first step to living with dentures is to do so confidently. Take the time to get used to them, and enjoy yourself! Nobody gets dentures because they want to feel self-conscious about their dentures, they get them to live their lives to the fullest again. Don’t forget that.
Be Patient
There’s a good chance your new affordable dentures will feel like large foreign objects in your mouth. They may even feel a little loose. Try to remember that getting a perfect fit will take a little bit of work. Even though your dentures are custom fitted, it could take a few adjustments to get them just right as your gums continue to adjust.
Try Adhesives
Until your dentures fit perfectly, adhesive can help keep things stable in the interim. Speak with your dentist for recommendations on what to use, but remember: dentures that fit correctly shouldn’t require a denture adhesive. If you’ve had your dentures for quite some time and you still rely on adhesives, speak with your dentist – there might be some adjustments left to make.
Practice Speaking
Immediately after getting your dentures, it might feel like speaking is a little challenging in the beginning. Certain words will sound differently, and increased saliva can sometimes provide an additional challenge. Fortunately, both of these problems go away as your mouth gets used to your dentures. The most effective way to acclimate to speaking normally again is to read out loud. Every day, try to take 5 or 10 minutes to read out loud. Make it an opportunity to catch up on the news, and really try to notice which words and sounds give you a problem. With time, your lips, tongue, and mouth will gradually acclimate to your new “teeth” and speaking will feel and sound natural again.
Eat consciously
With dentures, practice is the name of the game. This is also true when it comes to eating. With a little practice and some re-training of how you eat, you will be eating your favorite foods in short-order.
In the beginning, try to start with soft and easy to chew foods. But don’t take that to mean that chewier and crunchier foods are out of bounds – they just take a bit of extra practice.
Make things easier by cutting your food into smaller pieces than you normally would, and try not to tear the food off of your fork with your frontal teeth. On top of this, try to chew your food on both sides of your mouth, instead of on one side or the other.
So you did your research, you found a great dentist that offers affordable dentures, and you took the plunge. You replaced your teeth with dentures and they look great, but anyone would be lying if they said that living with dentures doesn’t take a little practice.
However, with time and a little bit of practice you will be eating your favorite foods, smiling, and talking as much as you want in no time. Better yet, you’ll do all of those things without feeling worried or self-conscious about your teeth.
