One of the first questions asked by our first-time partial denture patients is “how long does it take to get used to them?” Getting accustomed to your new partial denture can be challenging and most patients go through an adjustment period during the first few weeks.
Some of the things you’ll need to get used to are the way the dentures feel in your mouth, taking them in and out, cleaning your partial dentures, eating, and talking while your mouth feels different. The first week you have your partial dentures will be the strangest for you. While some patients feel adjusted after three weeks, others may not feel completely adjusted until six weeks in.
Thankfully, the discomfort of wearing and eating with them can be alleviated. At Afdent, we have developed some tips on how to cope with your partial dentures.
- Follow your Dentist’s Orders
Right after getting partial dentures, it is a must to follow whatever advice your Afdent dentist provides to you. It’s important to learn how to wear and care for them. You also want to take special care when inserting and removing them. One wrong move can break your partial denture or damage your mouth.
- Eat Denture-Friendly Foods
The real challenge with partial dentures is eating while wearing them, especially for the first few days. At first, foods may not taste the same as they once did, and distinguishing hot and cold liquids might be tricky. Also, eating with partials for the first few days may feel uncomfortable.
Eventually you and your mouth will adjust to the partial denture, so be patient. In the meantime, until that adjustment occurs, choose softer foods, such as purées or soups. Don’t worry, you don’t need to puree every meal into a smoothie, but foods such as eggs, warm cereal, fish, and cooked vegetables will give you the nourishment you need while going easy on your partials. Foods cut into small pieces are also acceptable. As much as possible, you should try chewing on both sides of the mouth to keep the pressure even.
Please avoid hard or sticky foods in the first few days or weeks of wearing partial dentures. They can easily break, crack, or chip your artificial teeth. Other problem foods to initially avoid include popcorn, caramels, peanut butter, and steak.
- Rinse Using Salt Water
It’s normal for the mouth to overproduce saliva in the presence of a foreign object, such as partial dentures. An excellent way to manage over salivating is by rinsing the mouth using salt water. This can also alleviate the soreness one feels for wearing partial dentures.
You can use a salt water rinse every other day for a week at the most. This method reduces swelling in the gums and cleanses the irritated areas. If the pain persists, contact our office so we can recommend other pain relieving alternatives.
- Take Prescribed Over the Counter Pain Relievers
If the pain becomes intolerable, it’s perfectly fine to take relievers. Just make sure your OTC medicine is prescribed by your Afdent dentist. This is because not all painkiller medicines are the same; some have different components and serve different functions.
If weeks or even months have passed and there’s still a feeling of any discomfort or pain from wearing partial dentures, one shouldn’t hesitate to book an appointment with our office. It may turn out that the partials don’t really fit the mouth, or there are tiny broken parts that can’t be seen. We can identify what’s wrong and fix the problem in no time.
Turn to Afdent Patient Friendly Dentistry
At Afdent Patient Friendly Dentistry, we have experienced dental professionals who can help you maintain good oral health. We provide top-notch dental services such as teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, wisdom tooth removal, and more. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your appointment today. We look forward to serving you.