Dentures: Getting Used to Them and Caring for Them

Dentures are false teeth that replace teeth you have lost.

• Complete dentures cover your whole upper or lower jaw.
• Partials replace one or a few teeth.

Getting used to them

• They feel strange at first: speaking and eating may feel different.
• Take care: dentures can make it harder to feel hot foods and drinks, or to notice biting on a bone in your food.
• Fit checks: at first your dentist may want to see you often to check the fit.

Over time

Your mouth changes, so dentures may need adjusting or replacing — let your dentist do it. If they move too much, a denture adhesive may help. Sometimes a dentist will suggest dental implants, which are permanent and replace both the roots and the teeth.

Keeping them clean

• Keep dentures free of food, which can cause stains, bad breath or swollen gums.
• Brush them every day with a denture-care product.
• Take them out at night and keep them in water or a denture-cleansing liquid.

Sources

Based on "Dentures," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute on Aging; a work of the United States government in the public domain.