Dentures are a great solution for helping to restore your smile, your self-confidence, your speech and your enjoyment of food, but you will need to be aware of what you eat and drink when you get your new teeth in order to maintain optimum oral comfort and oral health.
Your dental professional should discuss all aspects of diet and dentures with you before fitting your new teeth, but remember – there’s no such thing as a silly question, so don’t hesitate to ask your dentist for advice and assistance.
Once you have gained confidence eating with dentures and are able to move on from the soft foods recommended for the early stages, it will probably be possible for you to partake in most of your favourite foods. However, certain foods should be avoided as eating them can cause discomfort and may actually weaken the bond between your dentures and your gums.
Here’s a list of the top five foods you should avoid if you have dentures:
- Chewy, sticky treats
If you love chewy toffees or sticky caramel and you have dentures, it’s really bad luck because they’re a no-no. Sticky, tacky treats can cling to your dentures, loosen them and even dislodge them, which may be embarrassing – plus they’ll take forever to clean.
- Nuts
Crunchy nuts can wreak havoc with dentures. The sharp edges and tiny bits can get stuck in between your dentures or even find their way underneath to the gum, so you should replace your nutty snack with olives, rice cakes, berries, seedless grapes or little blocks of cheese.
- Anything with seeds
Wholegrain bread, seed loaf, grain crackers, poppyseed muffins – these are just some examples of food with seeds that should be avoided if you have dentures. The little seeds can easily slip under the dentures or get stuck between the teeth causing pain and discomfort.
- Peanut butter
As tempting as it may be to reach for the peanut butter jar, it’s not worth the pleasure. Peanut butter is one of the very worst things that denture wearers can eat as it clings to the teeth like adhesive glue.
- Popcorn
Popcorn has lots of hard, sharp edges and spiky hulls which can be uncomfortable if they lodge between your dentures and your gums. The hard kernels can also be problematic, so it’s best to avoid popcorn altogether and choose a more denture-friendly snack.
When you get dentures, you certainly won’t have to give up on all your favourite foods but you will probably have to adjust the way that you prepare them. That’s because some of the natural biting strength that you had with your natural teeth is diminished and although dentures are an excellent way of restoring your ability to bite and chew food, they can make it a little harder to eat certain foods.
For example, you can still enjoy a juicy steak or fresh corn once you have dentures – you just need to take a slightly different approach to how you would usually prepare and eat certain foods.
Cutting harder food like steak into small pieces or changing the way you prepare proteins, such as using a slow cooker to make tender stews, choosing ground steak and pulled pork or chicken and sautéing veggies to soften them slightly will make them easier to chew and more enjoyable. The trick is to chew slowly, keep an even pressure in your mouth by chewing your food on both sides and being aware of how your dentures feel as you are eating.
Being smart about your food choices is a key element of getting the most from your dentures and enjoying a positive experience, and your dental professional has an important role to play in assisting and advising you on all aspects on diet and dentures.
If you have any questions about eating and dentures, give the friendly experts at Discount Dentures a call. They have years of experience with every type of denture, from full and partial dentures to emergency dentures in Perth and they can help you work out the best way to continue enjoying your favourite foods. So, if you’d like to talk to a caring, skilled dental professional about quality, affordable dentures in Perth, get in touch with Discount Dentures on 08 9300 2332
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