Your New Dentures

At today's visit we inserted your complete denture, and we have scheduled a follow-up appointment in a week to check the fit of your new appliance. At that appointment, we will also re-check your bite and make sure your gums are adapting well to the denture.

Following are some tips to help you adjust to your new denture:

• In the beginning, your dentures may feel loose. They will feel bulky and may tip when you chew. After a period of adjustment, the muscles of your cheeks and tongue will work together to keep your dentures secure.
• Practice reading out loud until your tongue adjusts to the denture. If the denture teeth click together when you talk, speak more slowly.
• You may notice increased salivation for the first few weeks as your mouth adjusts to having something new in it.
• Wear your dentures most of the time for the first few days so it will become known which parts of the denture need adjustment.
• Eat soft foods and foods that have been cut into small pieces at first to get used to eating with the denture in place. Avoid very sticky or hard foods. Chew on both sides with your back teeth to keep your dentures from tipping.
• Be cautious when eating food with bones and avoid food and liquids that are too hot, since both could cause injury to your mouth.
• Take your dentures out at night to give the mouth tissues a period of rest. Soak them in water to keep them from drying out.

Following are some tips to help you clean and care for your new denture:

• Rinse your denture after eating to remove bits of food. Rinse your mouth as well to help prevent food from becoming lodged between your gums and denture.
• Never put your denture in hot water as this may warp it. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.
• Clean your denture with a special denture brush every day using denture toothpaste or mild liquid soap. Regular toothpaste is too abrasive. NEVER use bleach.
• A few times a week, soak your dentures in denture cleaner to help prevent staining and odor.
• Hold your denture over a towel or basin of water when cleaning it. This will protect it in case you accidentally drop it.

Call our office if your denture becomes loose, not comfortable, or needs adjusting. Over time, the bone and gum ridges in your mouth can recede or shrink, affecting the stability of the denture and your ability to chew. Do not try to adjust the denture yourself or it may break.