What to Expect After Getting Full Dentures

Full dentures can replace the teeth of each dental arch. Your gums and saliva will form a seal to help keep them in place. Getting these restorations can be life-changing. Understanding what will happen after getting them can help prepare you for each step. Here are the things you must look forward to after getting your full dentures.

The first day

The patient may need dental extraction before getting dentures. Taking the prescribed antibiotics and pain relievers can help the extraction sites heal. Keeping the dentures on during the first day of getting them can help the gums heal from the extraction. The restorations will serve as a band-aid.

The dentist may even recommend wearing the dentures during bedtime. The gums will be tender and sore. Using dentures to chew may cause more pain. Eating soft foods, such as mac and cheese or mashed potatoes, will be better for healing gums.

The first two weeks

After a day of wearing the dentures, the patient must go back to the dental clinic. The dentist will need to remove the stuck dentures and clean them. There will be sore areas after wearing the restorations for a day. Expect more saliva production as well. The gums will contract as they recover.

Visiting the dentist many times will help the dentures fit better. Protein-rich drinks or smoothies will be a good alternative to solid foods if the patient still experiences pain while eating. The mouth will adjust to the new restorations. Rinsing the mouth with a warm salt solution can help soothe the discomfort. Pain that persists is a sign to return to the dentist for some adjustments. The patient will have a longer healing time and will need denture adjustment if there was a dental extraction before the dentures.

After two weeks

Adjusting to the new full dentures will take some time. The patient will have less saliva production and fewer sore areas in the mouth. The dentist can make proper adjustments to the restorations. Talking and eating with these prostheses will need time to get used to. Lisping often happens. This can fade by reading aloud from a book, or a list of difficult words to pronounce can also help.

After 15 days to three months

The patient will be learning how to eat and talk. Adjusting to the feeling of having a dental appliance in the mouth is part of the healing. Saliva production and soreness will go down more. A denture adhesive can help improve the feel and fit of the full dentures. Be careful not to use too much of it.

After a month

The patient should be used to the dentures after a month. The fit may change because of the changing gum tissue. The prostheses will start wearing out as well. Visiting the dentist will help the restorations fit better.

After three months to a year

The patient will learn to talk and eat well with the dentures. Moving on with life and enjoying it will be easier. Every five to 10 years, the patient will need new dentures. Seeing the dentist for regular checks and adjustments is necessary.