Foods to Eat for New Denture Wearers

Dentures may take a little time to get used to, just like when you wear anything new. It’s not just how they look and feel, but also how your facial muscles adjust to the new sensations that come with dentures.

As you may need a little patience for your dentures to settle in, it’s important to be careful with your food choices in those first few weeks so that your mouth can adapt to a new life with dentures. We’re here with some tips to help you find the best foods to eat with new dentures so life will come back with more bite.  

Life can still be delicious with dentures, but you need to ease into dining when you get a new set. Here are a few basic tips to get used to first-time dentures.

Tips for First Time Denture Wearers

• Choose liquids. You may feel a little uncomfortable chowing down on food, so go for soups, smoothies, puddings, applesauce and other liquefied food in those first few days.  

• Take care with hot dishes. Hot liquid can burn your mouth. Sometimes dentures can insulate your mouth and you may not be able to gauge the temperature of your food. If you are uncertain, take care and test the heat against your lips first. 

• Don’t hold hot liquids in your mouth. Heat can loosen your bottom dentures, so try to swallow hot liquids quickly. 

• Take it slow, bite with care. Try to take smaller bites and chew food slowly so you can swallow food more easily.  

Transitioning to Solid Foods

Once you’re more confident with your new dentures, it’s time to transition back to solid foods. The key here is to take small steps, so here are few things that may help you to know:  

• Your sense of taste will improve. Don’t worry if you feel your tastes are dulled, like most things this will get better over time.  

• Eat solid food in tiny pieces. When you are ready for solid food, make sure you cut everything up into tiny and easy-to-chew bites.  

• Chew slowly and bite on both sides. Take care to chew thoroughly before swallowing, and distribute your food evenly on both sides and in the back of your mouth. This will help keep your dentures more stable.  

• Slice fruit. Rather than biting into an apple, slice it into easy bite-sized pieces.  

• Drink with your meals. Complex carbohydrates like cereals and whole grain bread are good for you, but they can get stuck to your dentures. Take a few swigs of liquid with them to make them go down easier.  

• Go for easier-to-chew meats. Your time will come when you’ll be eating steak with dentures, but for now go for poultry, fish, or slow-cooked, stewed meat that you may find easier to chew.  

• Use denture adhesive. Help fix those dentures in place and stop gum irritation with a denture adhesive, which can help you eat those tasty morsels that require a tougher bite.  

No. The good news is once you’re used to wearing and chewing with dentures, and with a little help from the right adhesive, you can eat pretty much anything. Some foods can be trickier to eat because they are hard to chew or bite, have small hard particles, or are sticky, such as: 

• Tough red meat  

• Crusty bread  

• Fresh fruit (whole) 

• Chewing gum 

• Nuts  

• Sticky candies and sweets  

• Nut butters.  

However, with a good adhesive and a little care you should be able to eat anything you want with confidence. 

Do you need some culinary inspiration for your early denture days? Here you can find some foods to help you adjust to eating with dentures.  

Days 1 to 14

Your gums may be sensitive for the first few days, so it’s a good idea not to strain them too much. Going for liquids and soft foods will give them the time they need to adapt to your new dentures. Choose food that doesn’t need chewing like:  

• Mashed potatoes or other vegetables 

• Yogurt 

• Vegetable soup  

• Soft cheeses  

• Applesauce  

• Broth.  

Days 15 to 29

Once your mouth starts to get used to your dentures, you can reintroduce solid foods. However, don’t get the steak out just yet, start slowly with easy-to-chew, bite-sized pieces. Try easy-to-eat dishes like:  

• Well-cooked pasta 

• Baked potatoes 

• Meat cut into small pieces.  

Day 30 and Beyond

Congratulations, you’ve made it through your first month with dentures! The good news is with some help from Fixodent you can now go out and eat all your favorite foods. Have a crunchy salad with nuts and seeds, corn on the cob, chicken, or even a crisp apple to keep the doctor away.  

Don’t worry about eating with your new dentures. Just take it slowly, and soon you will be eating your favorite foods again with no problem. If you have any doubts about living with and caring for your dentures, please consult your dental professional. However, if you notice your dentures feel loose when eating or your dentures don’t fit properly, even with adhesive, see your dentist to get your dentures adjusted and take care with the food you eat. In the meantime, eat smaller bites and maybe opt for softer food to avoid any choking risks.  

Make sure to take care of your dentures and they will take care of you. It’s important to remove food from dentures, to avoid tartar formation and to keep your dentures free from stains. Fixodent is here to help you in each step of your life with dentures.