Your dentist will extract your remaining teeth and insert the new dentures that your Denturist has made. The following day you will see your Denturist for any adjustments that may be necessary.
It takes 6 to 8 weeks to learn to chew with your new teeth. During the next few months your gums and the underlying bone will be healing and shrinking, causing your dentures to become loose and probably causing sore spots. Your Denturist will make adjustments to your dentures when this occurs.
After 3 months of wearing your new dentures, a temporary tissue conditioning reline procedure will be done. This will improve the fit and aid in developing better control and stabilization of the dentures. This procedure is included in the price of your dentures.
Your First Dentures
A great deal of time and care is spent in the construction of your dentures. Even more time and effort must be expended by you to master the use of them. The effort put fourth to master your new teeth, determines how successful you will become adjusting to them. It will take perseverance and determination to succeed. Thousands of people wear dentures successfully and with time you will too!
First Impressions
When you first have your dentures inserted in the mouth you may have the sensation of fullness, have difficulty swallowing or gagging and extra saliva flow. These difficulties will gradually disappear the longer you wear your dentures.
When you first have your dentures inserted in the mouth you may have the sensation of fullness, have difficulty swallowing or gagging and extra saliva flow. These difficulties will gradually disappear the longer you wear your dentures.
Appearance
Natural settling of the dentures takes some time and the appearance of the dentures will also improve. You may find your facial expressions are a little strained at first but this too will change as the dentures settle. Try to talk and laugh in a natural way and you will be surprised how quickly your natural facial expressions will return.
Speech
When you first receive your new denture you may notice a thickness in your speech and perhaps a lisp. Try speaking as much as possible, perhaps reading aloud. This practice will train the tongue and lips to relax and these difficulties will correct themselves in a short time.
Eating
Practice, practice, practice…will be required to learn to chew with your new dentures. Start with soft foods cut into small pieces and chew on both sides of the mouth at the same time. Do not bite off food with your front teeth as this will dislodge the denture. New memory patterns must be established for both the facial and chewing muscles. As you grow accustomed to your new teeth more solid foods may be attempted.
Tenderness
You can expect some soreness from your new dentures and these pressure spots can be relieved by your Denturist. Take the dentures out until you can make an appointment putting them in at least 2 hours before your appointment. Your gums will be constantly changing and healing over a long period of time. Regular visits to your Denturist for adjustments may be necessary.
Caring for Your New Dentures - Oral Hygiene
Dentures and mouth should be rinsed after every meal whenever possible. Dentures should be removed every day and placed in a soaking type cleanser that kills bacteria. Leaving them out overnight is recommended.
Do not use a toothbrush or toothpaste on your dentures as they are very abrasive and will scratch and dull the shine. It will also wear the natural appearance of the teeth.
When dentures are left out of the mouth they should be placed in a container filled with water to prevent drying and possible dimensional changes of the denture base material.
DENTURES DO NOT LAST FOREVER!
A check up once a year at your Denturist is recommended. Reline your dentures every 2 to 3 years to keep them fitting properly.