For centuries, traditional dentures have been a popular choice for replacing teeth, and they have only gotten better with time. Due to modern technology and materials, dentures today have made significant progress even since your grandparents wore theirs decades ago. Even with all these improvements, however, these traditional restorations still aren’t perfect. In fact, some wearers find it difficult to eat certain foods and must be careful about their diet.
In this post, you’ll learn why eating isn’t always easy with dentures, what you should stay away from if you have these prosthetics, and methods that can make eating better.
Why Eating with Dentures Can Be Challenging
Compared to no replacement teeth at all, dentures can enable you to eat much more food, especially once you’ve had them for a few months and have become accustomed to their feel and safe eating techniques. When you first get them and after you’ve had them for a long time, however, you may struggle even with foods that aren’t particularly sticky, chewy, or hard. After a week or two with your brand-new dentures, you should be able to transition to a normal diet with more confidence.
Unfortunately, for old dentures, your mouth changes shape over time because of the natural deterioration of the jawbone. When the roots of your teeth are gone, the bone stops producing new growth and shrinks. That’s why traditional dentures usually need to be replaced about every five to seven years.
Foods to Avoid with Dentures
If your dentures don’t feel comfortable as you eat, stop eating and choose something that is soft. Eating with your dentures shouldn’t hurt, and a weak bite will not help to break down your food into more digestible pieces. As a result, you should avoid hard and chewy foods immediately after getting new dentures and if your old dentures don’t fit properly anymore. Switch to soft foods like eggs, oatmeal, canned veggies, and mashed potatoes.
Even with properly functioning traditional dentures, there are some foods you shouldn’t have if you want to steer clear of a situation where your dentures come out or cause pain in your gums:
- Chewy steak or other meats.
- Apples and raw vegetables.
- Nuts, seeds, or popcorn.
- Chewing gum.
- Baked goods with seeds.
- Staining drinks like dark soda, coffee, and red wine.
Ways to Make Eating with Dentures Easier
If you choose to continue with traditional dentures, you can take certain actions to facilitate eating:
- Visit your dentures at least twice per year for checkups.
- Have your dentist adjust your dentures every couple of years.
- Replace your dentures with new ones when necessary.
- Cut your food into smaller, more chewable pieces (such as in a salad).
- Clean your dentures right after eating and soak them at night while you sleep.
- Consider getting implant dentures, which feel like real, stable teeth and significantly increase your biting and chewing strength.
In the end, you can make food accommodations for your traditional dentures, but you could enjoy eating as you did before your tooth loss with implants attached. Whether you choose advanced implant dentures or normal prosthetics, know that your ability to eat will be greatly enhanced over gumming your food!
About the Practice
Beach Dental takes a unique approach with each patient because their needs, goals, and smile are different. Dr. Alexis Gersten and Dr. Jason Parli have both undergone extensive additional training for dental implants and restoration since they earned their dental degree and continue to stay abreast of innovations every year. If you are interested in dentures, implant dentures, Invisalign, routine checkups and cleanings, other services, contact our dental office online or call us at 631-325-0731 to schedule appointment if you’re coming from East Moriches, Westhampton, Manorville, Westhampton Beach, East Quogue, and beyond!