What Should People Who Use Dentures Pay Attention to? | Prosthetic Dental Usage Guide 2025
The most comprehensive guide on the use of dentures. The process of getting used to prosthetic teeth, cleaning, speech problems and care tips. Get support from a specialist doctor in Mersin.
Hello Dear Readers;
It is everyone’s right to smile. However, with the loss of natural teeth, this smile can disappear over time. Fortunately, today, mobile dentures (dentures), which are highly developed both aesthetically, functionally and anatomically, can compensate for this loss. With the high-tech prostheses we apply in our clinic, we restore the freedom of eating, speaking and smiling safely to our patients.
In this article, I want to tell you in full detail what my patients who use dentures should pay attention to in daily life, starting from the first days to long-term care.
It May Be Difficult to Get Used to Dentures in the Early Days, But It is Temporary
When you first meet a new prosthesis, it is extremely normal to have a foreign body feeling in your mouth. This is a temporary situation. Most of my patients get used to this feeling completely within 1-2 weeks. In the early days, I recommend that you pay special attention to the following:
* Consume soft foods: Avoid hard, crusty or sticky foods. Purees, soups, boiled vegetables are ideal.
* Take small bites: Do not strain your mouth and do the chewing process slowly.
* Get into the habit of chewing on both sides: Chew with both sides so that the prosthesis fits evenly and your jaw joints adapt.
- Make sure that you can chew: Denture dentures should be able to perform cutting, plucking grinding and double-sided balanced pressing when chewing. If you cannot chew with equal pressure on all sides, you can urgently go to the dentist for a dental check-up to balance the tooth alignment.
* Go for a checkup when there is a Gum knock: Prosthetic dentures should be made exactly compatible with the gums, but dentures can hit the gums at the initial stage. The knock is corrected by the dentist’s intervention on the denture and you can use the denture more comfortably.
Speech Difficulties Are Normal – They Are Overcome With Patience
Especially in upper palate prostheses, problems such as slurred speech, letter swallowing or muffled sounds may occur. If your denture and prosthesis are made compatible with the jaw, gums and facial structure in all its details, I recommend it to you:
- Do speaking exercises in front of the mirror.
* Strengthen your pronunciation by reading newspapers or books.
* Repeat challenging sounds such as ”S, S, Z”.
Remember, it may take up to 1 month for your tongue, cheek muscles, facial structure, lip muscles and nasal tissues to get used to the new prosthesis. Novo Novo. This process is completely natural. But if this process could not achieve a complete compliance, please have your check-up and have your dental examination again.
Oral Hygiene: Although You Use Dentures, Your Gum Health Is Vital
The tissues under your denture are still alive. Therefore:
- After each meal, remove and wash your prosthesis and brush it with prosthetic brushes.
* Do night care with denture cleaning tablets.
* Brush your gums and tongue with a soft or medium-hard brush.
If you notice sores, redness, bad breath or pain in the mouth, be sure to contact our clinic. Prolonged pressure can cause ulcers and bone resorption.
Remove Your Dentures at Night and Store Them in a Wet Environment
Removing your prosthesis while sleeping at night allows your oral tissues to breathe, prevents the risk of escaping into the windpipe during night breathing, and offers more comfortable use in the morning. The removed dentures should be stored as follows:
* Store in a container filled with clean water or in a water container with a special tablet.Jul.
- Do not use hot water (it may cause deformation).
- Do not leave your prosthesis in a dry environment outside the mouth, do not let it dry out.
Other Points to Be Considered When Using a Prosthesis
* Loss of balance: If your prosthesis has started to play, primer filling or re-alignment may be required.
* Food accumulation under the prosthesis: Get into the habit of mouthwashing after every meal.
* Smoking and tea/coffee consumption: May cause color changes and smell of dentures.
* Regular Dental Checkups: Come to our clinic in Mersin Yenişehir every 6 months to have both your oral tissues and your denture fit checked.
* Chewing efficiency qualification: The prosthetic teeth must fully perform the task of cutting, plucking and grinding during chewing. According to the tooth arrangement in the prosthesis, cheek support, lip proximity, smile harmony and face height, and at the same time, it is necessary to make a denture that is compatible with the jaw joint.
* Pain in the gums and jaw: Before prosthetic dentures are made and measured, treatments should be performed to regulate jawbone irregularities and gum growths that can hit the gums. Then, taking a measurement, the fit of the prosthetic denture to the gums and jaw becomes more comfortable.
Additional Recommendations For Octogenarian Patients
The majority of prosthesis users are elderly individuals. Some special recommendations for this group:
* Attention to dry mouth syndrome: The function of the salivary glands may decrease with age. Chewing sugar-free gum or using saliva-enhancing sprays may be beneficial.
* Loss of balance and risk of falling: Prevent fractures by putting water in the sink when removing the prosthesis.
* Tissue weakening due to vitamin deficiencies: Pay attention to your diet, consult an internal medicine specialist if necessary.
- The presence of jaw bone resorption: As you get older, jaw bone resorption and gum growth may occur, therefore, prosthetic dentures may need to be replaced.
How Long is the Life of the Prosthesis?
A well-cared-for prosthesis can be used easily for an average of 5-7 years. But:
- Your oral jaw bone and gum structure may change over time.
- The shape of your gums may change with age.
- More comfortable solutions can be developed with new materials.
That’s why annual checks are important. Even if your denture seems to fit very well, it is my recommendation that it should be checked by a specialist dentist.
The Last Word: Dentures Are Not Just a Tool; They are an Element that Determines Your Quality of Life
A prosthetic tooth completes what is missing, rebuilding your speech, chewing habits, even your self-confidence. That is why the design of the prosthesis, the way it is placed and the craftsmanship of the physician are of great importance.
I am, Prof . Dr. As Birkan Taha Özkan, when I make prosthetic dentures for each patient in my clinic; I plan the contribution to smile aesthetics by planning the gingival structure, jaw bone analysis, jaw joint fit, proportion with the face with special measurement and measurement methods. At this stage, I take into account the triangular aesthetic appearance of the expansion of the face along with cheek support and lip fullness. In addition, I take care to choose false teeth from Porcelain teeth in order to increase chewing efficiency and provide smile aesthetics. While making dentures, I make aesthetic and natural-looking denture applications. When making dentures and dentures, I perform intraoral measurement, measurement of facial tissues and prosthesis construction planning stages by considering all the tissues of the teeth, gums, jaw and face holistically. We aim to offer not only teeth, but also a comfortable life.
If you are also having problems with dentures or if you are preparing to use a prosthesis for the first time, I am waiting for you at our clinic in Mersin Yenişehir. We are here so that you can smile confidently in your life again with special solutions for you.
Frequently Asked Questions | Denture (Prosthetic Tooth)
- Is it difficult to use dentures?
In the early days, there may be a slight feeling of unfamiliarity. However, thanks to the specially prepared prostheses, this process passes quite comfortably. You can adopt and adapt denture dentures compatible with the gums, jawbone, palate, jaw joint and face very easily as soon as possible. With the right prosthesis planning, patients can adapt to chewing, laughing and speaking functions in a very short time.
- How to get used to dentures? How soon will I get used to it?
Usually, the adjustment process is completed within the first 7-10 days. If every detail of the construction stages of prosthetic dentures has been carried out uniformly, feeding soft foods during this process, using the prosthesis regularly and coming to the control immediately in case of discomfort accelerates adaptation. Thanks to the special measurement techniques we use in our clinic, the prostheses are designed in the closest way to the natural tooth.
- Is it difficult to eat with false teeth?
Chewing is not difficult in dentures made of high-quality material, porcelain teeth and teeth positioned in accordance with the correct jaw relationship. At first, it should be started with small bites and eventually move to harder foods. If the chewing surfaces are formed in the correct anatomy, if the key-lock relationship between the opposing teeth is ensured, if the appearance of teeth from the lips during smiling is at the ideal rate, patient comfort increases thanks to Decals made with the appropriate facial measurement for the jaw joint. This is one of our priorities as a clinic.
- Does a false tooth cause pain? Does it hurt?
There is no pain in a well-planned prosthesis. However, in the first days, some contact points may put pressure on the gum and cause bumps. This condition is temporary and is easily corrected. In addition, irregular spots on the gingiva and jawbone that have the potential to cause strokes are determined in our clinic even before the prosthetic denture is made. In fact, thanks to the treatment or operations of these gum and jaw bone irregularities that fit the denture to the palate at work, the alignment of the denture to the gum and jaw is facilitated. These problems are prevented from growing with individual rehearsal sessions in our clinic. At the same time, by ensuring the harmony of the prosthetic denture, it is prevented from hurting or hurting.
- Do you sleep with false teeth at night? Will it be removed?
Movable dentures should be removed at night while lying down. This allows the gums to rest, prevents the risk of swallowing a false tooth or escaping into the windpipe, and ensures the maintenance of oral hygiene. This does not apply to patients using fixed prostheses.
- How long is the life of a denture? How many years should it change every one?
The average duration of use of prostheses is 5-8 years. However, according to the changes in the jaw structure, this period may be shortened or prolonged. The life of dentures can be extended with checks to be made once a year or with a dental examination. Beyond the life extension, if possible, the efficiency obtained from the prosthetic denture can also be increased in terms of chewing smile aesthetics or face adaptation.
- What should be done if the denture is playing in the mouth?
If your prosthesis is playing in your mouth at the initial stage, contact your dentist immediately and have your gum fit to the jaw. If your prosthesis is tight at first but loosens later, it may loosen due to abnormal jawbone melting and unstable gum growth. In this case, re-adaptation (reline) should be performed, prosthesis renewal or gingival jaw bone arrangement operation should be performed. In our clinic, laser-assisted measurement techniques ensure that the prosthesis fits perfectly to the jaw.
- How should denture be cleaned? Which products should be used?
Mobile dentures should be brushed with a soft brush and denture cleaning solution after each meal. It is not recommended to use soap or toothpaste. In addition, when the prosthesis is removed at Jul-ture, it should be kept in a clean water container.
- Does a false tooth cause speech disorder?
Gingival compliance weakness, when the opposing teeth do not have key lock-lock compatibility with each other, when the dentures are of insufficient size relative to the face and jaw joint, when the teeth placed in the denture are positioned incorrectly, dentures cause speech disorders with insufficient lip support. But although these detailed studies are performed uniformly by the dentist, it may be difficult to pronounce some letters in the early days. However, this situation will disappear in a short time. Thanks to the individual rehearsal and speech simulations we perform in our clinic, this adjustment time is reduced to a minimum.
- Is a denture or an implant better? Which should be preferred?
The answer to this question depends on the person’s jaw structure, bone quantity and general health status. If the jawbone is suitable for the implant, fixed coatings on the implant and implant offer a more comfortable, effective chewing, more aesthetic and stable solution. But if there is not enough bone for the implant, the implant can be made by supporting it with advanced surgical techniques, and then the implant upper fixed coating treatment is performed. Alternatively, prosthetic dentures with a well-planned and high-quality denture can also be preferred.