1. Your First Few Weeks. New partial dentures always feel strange when first placed in your mouth. Several days or even a few weeks will be required for you to feel accustomed to them.
2. Sore Spots. Your mouth will most likely develop a few sore spots within the first 24 hours of wearing your partial dentures. This is to be expected and such sore spots can be easily relieved by your doctor. An initial 24 hour re-adjustment appointment should be made, and another appointment about a week later will usually eliminate any other sore spots.
3. Chewing. Your new “bite” may not feel comfortable for a period of days. We will adjust the contacting surfaces of your teeth after 24 hours, and again in about one week after the partial dentures have “settled” into place. Replacing missing teeth should make eating a more pleasant experience. Start out by eating soft foods that are cut into small pieces. Chew on both sides of the mouth to keep even pressure on the denture. Avoid foods that are extremely sticky or hard. You may want to avoid chewing gum while you adjust to the denture.
4. Caring for Your Partial Dentures and Your Mouth. Your partial dentures can be cleaned easily by using a denture brush and toothpaste. Clean them over a sink full of water to avoid damage if they are dropped. Use special care to clean parts of the partial denture that contact any natural teeth. Both the partial denture and the natural teeth must be kept very clean on a daily basis to reduce the chance of developing new dental decay. Use an ADA approved toothpaste containing fluoride. Denture soaking solutions are also useful for the partial denture. Brush your gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush once per day to toughen and clean them. You may leave the partial dentures out of your mouth at night, ALWAYS leave them soaking in water or mouthwash solution. The plastic part of your partial dentures will become brittle if left exposed to air.
5. If you find it difficult to pronounce certain words with your new denture, practice reading out loud. Repeat the words that give you trouble. With time, you will become accustomed to speaking properly with your denture.
6. The Future. Your jawbones and gum shrink up to 1/32 of an inch per year when your teeth are missing. This is one of the main disadvantages of dentures. Because of this shrinkage, you should plan to have your partial dentures and oral tissues evaluated by us at least once per year. We will inform you when relining or rebasing of the partial dentures is necessary. Wearing ill-fitting partial dentures for too long without refitting can cause severe bone loss and very serious oral disease. Even partial dentures that “fit” comfortably need to be checked along with your tissues.
We look forward to helping you adjust to and enjoy your new partial dentures!
