It’s a well-known fact that traditional dentures can often take a long time to fully get used to. Fortunately, adjusting to implant dentures is usually much easier – and faster. For one, you will never have to worry about your implant dentures slipping when you eat or speak! The same cannot be said for traditional dentures. Are you planning to restore your full smile with dental implants? Here are some tips for getting used to your new teeth.
Start with Soft Foods
After your implants are placed, your mouth will need to heal before you can begin eating all your favorite foods again. For the first few weeks, stick to a soft food diet. Foods like smoothies, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, applesauce, and cold soups are all great options during this initial recovery period.
Once your mouth has healed and you have your new set of teeth, you can begin introducing tough and hardy foods back into your diet. Eating with implant dentures may feel awkward at first, so take your time. Chew slowly and cut your food into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
Practice Speaking
It may feel a bit strange at first to speak with implant dentures, but a little practice can help you quickly adjust! Reading a book or newspaper out loud can help you grow accustomed to speaking with your new teeth. Chatting with your loved ones can also help you adjust. In a few short weeks, you will be able to speak clearly and crisply.
Expect Some Extra Saliva
Even though implant dentures are designed to replace missing teeth, they are still a foreign object in your mouth. For this reason, your body will likely react by producing extra saliva. This is completely normal and should resolve itself in just a few weeks. In the meantime, you can drink plenty of water to wash away extra saliva and avoid drooling.
Establish Good Habits
Wearing implant dentures also means you will need to adjust your daily oral hygiene routine, especially if it has been a while since you had teeth. Fortunately, cleaning implant dentures is easy! If your new teeth are permanently attached to the implant, you may be able to brush and floss like normal. If your implant dentures are the removable kind, you will need to take them out daily for a thorough cleaning. After a few days of “snapping” your dentures onto and off of their attachments, you will be able to quickly remove them without trouble.
Finally, don’t forget to schedule regular checkups with your dentist! Even though dental implants are not susceptible to decay, the surrounding gums can still become infected. Regular dental checkups can help keep your newly restored smile healthy over the long term.
About the Practice
The experienced board-certified oral surgeons at South Florida Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery routinely restore patients’ smiles with high-quality implant dentures. Their team is always available and on-call 24 hours a day in order to meet patient needs as quickly as possible. To learn more about adjusting to implant dentures, visit the South Florida Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery website or call 561-743-8311.