Dentures can be fabricated at any age, from childhood until very old age. It is however true that as we get older it becomes more difficult to become accustomed to new dentures. The dentist can use specific stabilisation techniques to facilitate the adaptation process.

Rinse your mouth and dentures with plenty of water after each meal.

Brush your dentures at least twice a day.
Before brushing rinse with plenty of water to remove any food remnants

Dentures should be cleaned outside the mouth with with mild soap and a denture brush.
Do not use common toothpaste or any abrasive powder because they could scratch the denture surface.

Carefully clean the outer and the inner surface of the dentures.

It is advisable to brush your dentures in a wash basin filled with a little water to avoid accidental breaking.
You may also put some cloth or tissue below the dentures.

With a soft brush and water clean your mouth, gums, palate and tongue.
It is important to remove all food remnants to avoid bad breath and infections.

Leave the brush to air dry.

Use denture cleansing tablets daily, or at least three times a week, and follow the product instructions.

Rinse thoroughly with water before putting the dentures back in the mouth.

Don’t place your dentures in boiling water.
Don’t place the dentures in sodium hypochlorite products suitable for dentures for longer than 10 minutes.

Dentures with excess calculus or heavy staining can be cleaned by a dentist.
Follow your dentist’s advice on how to store your dentures when you remove them from the mouth.
On many occasions they air-dry overnight.

If you need to carry your dentures put them in special storage boxes.
Don’t wrap them with tissues as they may get lost.

Visit your dentist at least once a year to check your dentures and oral health.

You normally have to wait for four to six weeks to start the process of dentures’ fabrication. This will allow the gums to heal properly. If you cannot remain without teeth, the dentist can fabricate immediate dentures that are inserted on the same day of the extractions. However there are some disadvantages in this technique. More follow-up adjustments are necessary and the dentures will not fit after some months because of the fast bone resorption. The immediate dentures should be relined or replaced after six months and this will increase the cost. Furthermore, this technique may have some contraindications due to general health conditions which will be discussed with your dentist.

The time required to fabricate complete dentures is normally two to three weeks.

A period of neuromuscular adaptation is necessary to become accustomed to new dentures; this may last for several weeks. During this period you may have difficulty speaking and chewing, until the muscles of the tongue, lips and cheeks learn to use the dentures. Irritation and soreness may occur, and the dentist will make some adjustments. In the first week after dentures’ insertion you may also have an increased saliva flow in the mouth. All these symptoms will decrease over time.

There is no general rule and it depends on each case. You may need one to five appointments for adjustments.

The dentist will fabricate dentures that look natural. Poor fit, ageing of denture material and inadequate home maintenance may be reasons for unnatural dentures’ look. These issues can be avoided if you visit your dentist at least once a year for a regular check-up.

It takes a little time to learn to eat with your new dentures. Your tongue, lips and cheeks need to learn how to control the food and the dentures at the same time.
Here are some good tips:

• Start with small amounts of soft food placed on both sides of the mouth. As you become more skilled you can add harder food to your diet. It takes a little time for your muscles to learn to control food and dentures at the same time.
• Try not to bite food with the front teeth. Cut food into small pieces and place it on the sides of the mouth. The dentures are made to chew with the back teeth, preferably on both sides simultaneously.
• Some foods are difficult to eat with dentures, such as harder foods (e.g. raw meat, apples), sticky foods (white rice, white bread, sticky sweets) and foods with small seeds (e.g. sesame bagels, kiwi, tomatoes) as the seeds get under the dentures and cause irritation. It is important to know that all types of foods can be eaten with appropriate preparation. Meat can be eaten well-cooked or minced. Fruits and salads can be cut in small pieces. You can easily chew fish. Chewing gums could be avoided.
• Your diet should include all types of food, particularly dairy products, pulses, vegetables and fruits with the necessary preparation. This will keep you healthy. Based on our experience, after some time most denture wearers claim to eat most types of food without discomfort.

You may need some practice at the beginning. The best exercise is to speak loudly (ie. read aloud a newspaper or a book) and repeat many times the most difficult words (those with t, th and s). Normally you will be able to speak without difficulty within a week.

It is recommended to take out the dentures at night to keep your mouth healthy from stomatitis and other infections and irritations. If this is not possible, you can take them out for 5-6 hours within the day at a time convenient to you.

A spare set of dentures, identical to the ones you already use, can be very easily made by your dentist. In this way you will feel more confident in case your dentures are broken, lost or need a reline.

Relines can be performed chairside or in the dental laboratory. With the chairside technique you go with your dentures. The laboratory reline is of better quality, lasts more and you can have your dentures back on the same day. Most dentists prefer the laboratory reline.

The dentures are made to accurately fit and normally you don’t need to use a denture adhesive.
If you have denture retention problems consult your dentist.
If the dentist prescribes a denture adhesive, follow the instructions and avoid using them for periods longer than 6 months without previous dental consultation.

Denture marking is very important as it helps identifying the owner in case the dentures are lost; this is especially useful for those living in institutionalised environment (eg. in a nursing home or a hospital). Your dentist could easily label your dentures.

Visit your dentist at least once a year to check your mouth tissues and the dentures. You may not be aware of any infections, lesions, or even cancer that may be there, but do not cause any symptoms.

The jawbone shrinks with time and the dentures become loose. The bone resorption is faster in the first year after the extractions but continues throughout lifetime at a variable rate. You may need a reline if you had your teeth extracted within the past year. The rule is the more you wait after the extractions (more than six months) the less chance to need a reline soon. If you wear dentures for a long time and you haven’t relined or remade them, visit your dentist.

Dentures do not last a lifetime! The denture material ages, the jawbones shrink and the dentures become discolored and loose. The teeth will wear from use and their appearance will change. You may start having some soreness and discomfort eating and speaking.
The dentist will advise if the dentures should be relined or replaced.