Did I get the right size denture
February 15, 2020
“Did I get the right size denture?It feels too big.”
Here’s something that has come up a few times. After our clients leave the clinic and have been home for a few days, they think they have the wrong size denture. They have a hard time chewing and sometimes it feels like the dentures are gagging them. The bite just doesn’t feel right and they are wondering if its normal or something is up?
This is a time of transition for you and your new mouth. You’ve just been worked on and your gums will be healing and still tender. Because of this you can overcompensate by favoring one side and modifying your bite to help alleviate some of the pressure.
Ensure you make follow up appointments regularly for the first little while so I can keep a close watch and see if anything needs adjusting. Make sure you share all your concerns and be honest about what you’re dealing with.
Chewing will take a bit of time. Be patient.
The chewing part is also an adjustment. You’ll have to figure out how to chew with your new teeth. Stock your fridge and pantry with soft foods that aren’t hard to chew. Pasta, baked or mashed potatoes, yogurt, eggs. Once you start getting familiar with your new mouth and your tongue learns where it’s now supposed to sit, you can start adding in other foods. Your knife and fork are your friend so make sure you cut your food into small bites, eliminating some of the chewing process. Make sure to use both sides of your mouth and chew with the back teeth.
It takes a bit of time to adjust to your dentures and gagging can happen for a couple reasons. If dentures are loose they shift and move, touching the tongue and throat. If dentures are slightly too big it can cover the throat more than it should in which case you’re dentures should be relined and adjusted; in some cases even remade.
It can take some time to adjust to your new dentures. Ask me about denture adhesive as often times this can remedy the problem. But in reality, it’s only going to take some time to adjust to your new normal and soon you should have a beautiful, full functioning,confident smile.
