If you have broken or missing teeth, dentures can give you back your smile and make it easier to enjoy the food you love. Eventually, wearing dentures may start to feel like second nature, but many people do find them uncomfortable at first. Below are a few methods dentists suggest for getting used to dentures.

How to Get Used to Dentures

1. Be Patient

Many patients expect dentures to feel like natural teeth right away and quickly become frustrated with the learning process. Keep in mind that, at first, dentures will feel like a foreign object in your mouth, and learning to use them takes time.

Developing realistic expectations before your dentist’s appointment will help you adapt to the process of learning how to bite, chew, and speak.

2. Start With Softer Food

Softer foods, like ice cream, mashed potatoes, and pudding, are easier on your healing and good steppingstones to heartier meals.

Your dentist will probably recommend staying with a soft food diet for several days after your procedure. When you can eat without discomfort or having your dentures slip out of place, you can try moving on to harder foods.

3. Sing Along to the Radio

Singing involves longer phrases and slower sounds than everyday speech, making it a fantastic exercise for your mouth, tongue, and cheek muscles. Over time, singing can help you develop the precision to articulate clearly in normal conversation. Eventually, you might even forget you have dentures in at all.

As one of Thomasville, NC’s favorite dentists, Nicholas J. Hurley D.D.S. P.A., is dedicated to giving every patient the care they need in a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Whether you need a routine exam or a full set of dentures, their staff will help keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright. Learn more about dentures on their website, or call (336) 476-1109 to make your first dentist’s appointment today.