Two tips for new denture-wearers

If you have just recently started wearing dentures, here are a couple of tips which you may find useful:

Don't ignore long-term discomfort

It is very common for people to find their dentures uncomfortable to wear initially. It can take up to two weeks for the oral tissues to adjust to the presence of this dental device; during this period, the wearer may notice some gum irritation and general soreness in their mouth.

However, it is not normal for dentures to cause long-term discomfort. If they still feel unpleasant to wear after a few weeks, you should make an appointment with your orthodontist, as it's possible that your dentures need to be adjusted to better fit the contours of your mouth.

If you ignore this discomfort instead of seeking the help of your orthodontist, your ill-fitting dentures will continue to irritate and perhaps even lacerate your oral tissues. This, in turn, could lead to the development of an infection which you may need to take antibiotics to resolve.

Learn how to look after your dentures

If you want to avoid having to endure the expense and discomfort of getting new dentures, it's sensible to take good care of your current set.

First and foremost, make sure that you soak them in a denture-cleaning solution each night after taking them out. In addition to killing any bacteria that are present on the denture palate and artificial teeth, this solution will also help to retain the shape of your dentures (if you allow your dentures to air dry when they're not in use, they can shrivel up and lose their shape).

Secondly, if you drop your dentures while you're removing them or if you accidentally stand on them, make sure to have any damaged components repaired promptly by a denture repairs specialist.

This is important, as seemingly minor defects in your dentures could evolve into major, irreparable problems if you ignore them for too long. For example, if you notice a hairline crack in your dentures' palate after dropping them on the floor, you should have this fixed immediately. If you do not, the crack could grow in size over time, to the point where the dentures split and become unusable.

In this situation, having the hairline crack repaired when you first spot it could spare you from having to spend hundreds of dollars on a new set of dentures.


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