Like most medical devices, wearing new dentures for the first time will come with an adjustment period as patients become acquainted with the sensations of using and living with dentures. Part of this journey can include intermittent points where patients find their mouth or gums have sore spots or discomfort. These moments are natural when first adjusting to a set of new dentures, and are not an immediate cause for concern, but they are understandably something patients would address than suffer through. While adjusting to life with a new custom smile, consider these 5 tips for managing any discomfort or sore spots from new dentures.

1.     Keep Dentures Clean

Just like regular teeth, dentures require daily cleaning and care. Trapped particles from eating can become lodged between the dentures and gumline, and irritate gums as patients chew, causing pain and soreness. Removing dentures at night and properly brushing them with a denture-specific dental cleanser will help remove these particles before they start to cause problems.

It’s just as important to brush the areas covered by dentures, to ensure that these spots in the mouth stay free from bacteria build-up. Brushing the roof of the mouth and gums with toothpaste, and rinsing with mouthwash, should loosen any debris and keep the areas of the mouth that come in contact with dentures free from bacterial infections.

2.     Avoid Broken Dentures and Maintain a Proper Wear Schedule

If dentures become damaged or broken, the broken areas can cause serious damage to the surrounding gums. Whether the damage is excessive or minor, it’s best to not gamble with safety, so replace damaged dentures with an undamaged replacement as soon as possible.

One way dentures can become damaged is through overuse, or wearing them on an incorrect schedule. For instance, dentures should be removed at night, and soaked in water overnight, as wearing them through the night can cause irritation in the mouth, or lead to damaged dentures as patients clench their jaw or grind their teeth in the night.

3.     Watch What You Eat

Dentures don’t necessarily require a strict diet, but there are foods that should be avoided while wearing dentures. As patients get used to new dentures in the first few weeks, it’s best to stick to softer foods and foods without many small pieces (such as seeded muffins or bread). Soft foods are easier to chew and will not put as much pressure on the gumline as patients chew. This also helps patients more easily learn how to chew while wearing dentures, as the sensation can be a tricky new feeling to get used to.

4.     Use a Topical Gel or Pain Reliever

If the pain and soreness become too great, patients should consider using either an over-the-counter topical oral pain relief gel or pain relief medication. The topical gel can provide instant soothing and numbing to the affected area, drastically cutting down on the sore spots. Patients who are unsure about which gel to get can consult with a doctor or pharmacist first. Over-the-counter pain relief medicine like ibuprofen can also help, reducing both pain and inflammation in sore gums, though patients should be careful about only taking recommended dosages and only consulting with a doctor or pharmacist.

5.     Ensure The Dentures Fit Correctly

If patients are wearing new dentures for some time, and still not finding any relief to their soreness and discomfort, the issue may be with the fit of the dentures themselves. Ill-fitting dentures can rub a patient’s gum the wrong way, literally, causing soreness, inflammation, and discomfort. Making sure that dentures have the exact right fit will help patients avoid gaps between the dentures and their gums, eliminating the pain and soreness from dentures with the wrong alignment. One way to find the right dentures is by consulting with Dental Lab Direct. Using only top-quality, hypoallergenic FDA-approved materials and products, Dental Lab Direct creates dental appliances that fit patients’ mouths exactly as intended. Designed using a direct impression of each patient’s mouth, Dental Lab Direct provides products that are unique and custom-built with every single patient in mind. See how Dental Lab Direct can fit the right set of dentures for you, exploring their unique process, and signing up for a free impression kit today!