What to expect and how to care for New Dentures
New dentures will feel awkward. Speech will be different and will feel your mouth is too full. Time, patience, and some training will help these problems go away to a large extent. If you don’t deal well with change in general, then you may take a bit longer to adjust to dentures. Dentures are NOT a replacement for teeth, they are a replacement for NO teeth so there are some differences that you have to adjust to.
When do you need to remove your dentures?
Remove your dentures every night to allow your gums time to rest. To remove your denture rinse with warm water first then grasp denture from both sides and wiggle out with a gentle rocking motion back and forth.
How do you care for new dentures and how do you clean your denture when it out of your mouth and not in use?
Each morning and evening use a denture brush to scrub your denture. If you want to use cleaning paste, then use a denture-paste or baking soda: NOT toothpaste. Toothpaste is slightly abrasive and will put microscopic scratches in your denture that bacteria will live in and be harder to remove. Brush your gums and tongue with a soft toothbrush each night without toothpaste or use a mouth rinse like CloSys. At night you can store your denture either wet or dry. For the best care get an ultrasonic like the Lohas ultrasonic cleaner GXZ UC01. This is a cost effective unit that Lim JDent 2024 uses in their study. If storing wet, in an ultrasonic or not, it’s best to use a denture-soaking solution/tablet such as those in the Polident or Efferdent line of products. Martinez JPD 2024 finds the effervescent tabs to be good at reducing bacteria and fungus to a lesser degree.
On occasion, you can use a vinegar solution (1 tsp vinegar in a cup of water) to help dissolve tartar. You can also occasionally use 1 part bleach (Clorox®) to 10 parts water solution to will kill bacteria and reduce discolorations and stain. A 20 minute soak is all you will to do. Believe it or not you can microwave your denture for 3 minutes in a microwave safe bowl submerged completely under water to kill bacteria. If there is ANY metal in your denture from an old partial denture or metal that hooks on to any remaining teeth do not use the microwave!
Dental probiotics by Nuveda Wellness are helpful in containing fungal levels. Before placing your dentures in allow a tablet to dissolve in your mouth and then do not eat or drink for the next hour. Elsayes JPD 2025
Learning to eat with a new denture
Be sure to take small bites. Rinse your mouth out after meals, as food will get caught underneath. Eating will take some getting used, so start eating like this:
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- Eat soft, easy to chew foods – such as fish, cheese, eggs, chopped meat, cooked vegetables, or ice cream.
- Chew on both sides of your mouth at the same time; this helps to stabilize the denture.
Biting into food is difficult with dentures and will tend to dislodge the upper denture. Therefore, foods like apples and corn on the cob should be sliced before eating.
Learning to speak with new dentures
You will have some difficulty speaking with dentures. “s” and “f” sounds in particular are difficult to master. Practice reading aloud for 5-20 minutes a day or speak in front of a mirror. It is helpful to swallow before speaking to “set” the dentures in place.
What to do about sore spots?
You will have sore spots and require adjustments from your dentist. We see our new denture patients in about a week for an adjustment. Sometimes multiple adjustments are necessary before dentures get comfortable. We allow 3 adjustment appointments as part of your denture cost, after that any adjustment visits have a fee.
What do you do if your new denture is too loose?
There are many liners and other types of adhesive tabs or tape you can try. Polident, Poligrip, Seabond, and Fixodent are a few popular brands. DenSureFit is a liner material you can do on your own, that lasts much longer. Most people will use these products as they help even well fitting dentures.
When to Visit Bauer Dental and Orthodontics
- If you have sore spots or the bite is uncomfortable. There may be a fee for this appointment.
- Annual dental visits! Visits allow us to examine mouth and fit of denture, which will change.
