The look of new dentures may give you something to smile about, but trying to eat with them may not. Learning to eat with dentures may be challenging in the beginning as you adjust to the feel of false teeth. Experienced denture wearers can usually eat just about any food they desire. With patience, persistence and practice it's possible to return to your pre-denture diet with few exceptions.
Nutrition
People who wear dentures generally have a less nutritious diet than those with their natural teeth, explains the American Dental Association. This is because denture wearers tend to shy away from nuts, fruits, raw vegetables and meats that can be harder to chew. While it's wise to stay away from hard-to-eat foods when you first get dentures, you will soon ease back into the world of chewing.
Recommendations
Soup, scrambled eggs, yogurt, mashed potatoes, tuna fish and puddings are examples of foods that require little or no chewing when you first get dentures. Chewier or harder foods foods like steak, cooked vegetables, carrots and celery can be added to your diet in bite-size pieces as you grow accustomed to your dentures. Chewing slowly with both sides of your mouth can help stabilize dentures and keep them in place.
Limitations
While denture wearers can master the ability to eat most of the foods they love, it may never be possible to eat as efficiently as is possible with natural teeth. If you love corn on the cob, for example, you may have to use additional denture adhesive to help ensure your teeth don't slip or slide. Rather than biting into an apple or an almond you may now have to slice them into small pieces.
Considerations
It may be harder to feel hot food and liquids when you have dentures, cautions MedlinePlus, a website published by the National Institutes of Health. Also, be careful with shells and hard-edged bones. Talk to your dentist if your dentures have caused you to change your diet or if you feel your nutritional needs are not being met. Denture wearers may discover that it's easier to eat now than when they had missing teeth.
