Dentures which are also known as false teeth are a great solution for people who have lost a significant amount of natural teeth. this means that they may have trouble eating or speaking as a result. While getting dentures can be great, they can be uncomfortable and awkward for the first few weeks that you have them on. You will still be able to enjoy most of your favourite dishes but you may have to stay away from some of the foods that could cause damage to your teeth or lead to discomfort.
Here are some of the foods you should be careful about eating. These include chewing gum, corn on the cob, crackers, crusty bread, and tough stringy meats. Here are some of the other foods you need to avoid and why.
Toffees
Eating chewy candy-like toffees and other sticky candy can dislodge dentures. It also makes it hard to keep them clean. If you have a sweet tooth, eat things that will not get stuck or remove your dentures like cake, yoghurt, and soft puddings. Always rinse your dentures and your mouth after consuming foods with a lot of sugar to avoid bacteria buildup.
Steak
Who doesn’t love a nice, juicy steak? It really hits the spot. But it also may cause issues for people with dentures. Why? Because you have to chew a lot and this can cause sore gums, destabilize teeth in your dentures and in extreme cases it may dislodge the dentures. If you really want to eat that steak cut into smaller pieces so as not to dislodge the dentures. Also, look for a soft cut of meat that is easily chewable.
Nuts and Nut Butters
Most nuts are hard and you have to chew them a lot in order for them to crunch up. When you first get dentures it takes quite a bit of time to learn how to eat with them. The problem is that it is hard to learn to eat certain foods without accidentally cracking the dentures or getting food lodged beneath them which can cause discomfort. So it is advisable to not eat nuts that are hard to crack but instead substitute them with something else. If you really like nuts and would miss eating them, maybe substitute nuts with eating their smooth butter mixed in food or on bread. You should also make up for the loss of healthy fats from the nuts by eating other things with healthy fats.
A word of caution. It is challenging to remove nut butter from dentures because they are sticky. Since the only way to remove them is to remove the dentures to brush away the build-up it is advisable to only eat nut butter at home where you can remove the dentures and clean them.
Popcorn
Popcorn kernels have a way of getting stuck in your teeth whether or not you have dentures. It would take hours to remove these kernels which results in discomfort. If you have dentures, the popcorn kernels may make their way underneath the dentures and this can be quite painful. It is easier just to avoid eating them.
Bread with seeds
Seeds from seeded bread, cakes and crackers may find their way underneath a person’s dentures and stay there until they are removed and cleaned. If you like bread with seeds you should consider whole grain bread and crackers because the seeds are baked into the dough rather than putting on top after baking.
Crunchy fruits and veggies
Eating crunchy fruits and veggies means that you have to chew quite vigorously, and this puts a lot of pressure on the dentures. This can lead to the dislodgement of dentures at very inconvenient times and it could be a struggle to get them back in properly. If your concern is getting in your vitamins and fibre, you should consider making fruit smoothies which will be much kinder to your dentures. 5 Smoothie Recipes To Boost Your Energy
Coffee
Who doesn’t love a great cup of coffee in the morning or the afternoon? Unfortunately coffee is notorious for being a drink that stains teeth, even those that are natural. For people who wear dentures, the stains will become even more visible quicker since your teeth are not natural. Switch over to lighter coloured beverages like green tea. 11 Health Benefits Of Green Tea
If some of these are your favourite snacks or foods, find substitutes that will give you flavour without compromising on your comfort.
If you are wearing dentures for the first time, these Tips for Eating With New Dentures may be useful to you.
Here are some tips to get you started.
- Start with soft foods that would be easy to eat without stressing your jaw muscles or compromising your gums. These include pureed food, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and smoothies.
- Check the temperatures of the food you are eating. Hot food can burn your mouth and because of the insulating effects of the dentures, you will not be able to judge the temperature of your food. Test the food on your lips before putting them in your mouth.
- Don’t hold liquids in your mouth because liquids can loosen bottom dentures.
- Avoid spicy foods if you have sores or irritation because they can make things worse.
If you are considering getting dentures and need more information, check out this article on dentures.
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