New dentures can be uncomfortable at first and may take several weeks to get used to, but the good news is once you’ve adjusted they can be a life-saver. As you adjust to your dentures, you’ll need to adapt to your new teeth. Below we’ve compiled some tips for eating with your new dentures, foods to eat, and foods to avoid.
Tips for eating with your new dentures
Liquids: In the beginning, you’ll want to stick to a liquid diet as you heal: purees and soft foods like pudding, applesauce, and broth are all going to feel comfortable. Be careful of heat, your new dentures are insulating so you’ll have a tough time judging temperature. Be sure to avoid holding liquids in your mouth as that can loosen your bottom set.
Solids: Once you can move on to solids, start slow and soft. You’ll want to cut your food into very small pieces and distribute the food on all sides of your mouth to keep your dentures stable while you eat. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
You’ll experience a little soreness in the beginning as your mouth adjusts to your new dentures, but contact your dentist if this problem gets worse or is persistent.
Different foods you can eat
Once your mouth is fully adjusted to wearing your dentures, you can eat almost anything. Some foods will be more challenging than others, however. Below are the top 8 foods to eat with your new dentures and the top 8 to avoid.
8 Foods to stay away from
1. Coffee and tea: Large quantities are dehydrating and can increase your dry mouth.
2. Popcorn: If tiny pieces get caught underneath the dentures, it can be excruciating.
3. Sticky candy: Even small pieces could potentially dislodge your dentures.
4. Nuts: Again, the issue with tiny pieces. In addition, denture wearers need to chew on both sides of their mouth to prevent loosening.
5. Seeded crackers and bread: Tiny seeds underneath dentures is a painful experience.
6. Steak: Tough to chew foods create sore spots underneath dentures and can destabilise your teeth.
7. Raw vegetables and fruits: some like apples, carrots, and corn are more problematic due to putting a lot of pressure on the dentures.
8. Nut butters: the sticky texture can be very challenging to get off your dentures.
8 Foods you can eat instead
1. Switch to decaffeinated beverages and increase your other fluids to balance the dehydrating effects of teas and coffee. Having enough saliva in your mouth is key to preventing the suction effect that can happen in a dry mouth which can dislodge your dentures.
2. Try vegetable chips instead of popcorn. Beware of any that are too sticky and be sure to drink plenty of water.
3. When craving candy, try gum instead: it helps with saliva production and won’t wreck your teeth.
4. Replace nuts with pitted olives. They both contain heart-healthy fats, but olives are denture friendly with no tiny hard pieces.
5. Using whole grain bread instead of seeded bread and crackers will prevent any pain from stuck seeds.
6. Cutting up chewier foods into tiny pieces means you can still enjoy them without the destabilising effect.
7. Try smoothies instead of those harder fresh fruits and veggies to keep essential nutrients in your diet.
8. Instead of nut butter try hummus and other protein-rich spreads like tapenades and tuna or egg salad.
With these tips and tricks, enjoy eating a variation of all your favourite foods with your new dentures. Contact the team at Aesthetic Dentures to learn more about how we can help you with new dentures.
