What does a new denture feel like at first, and is extra saliva normal?
A new removable denture is something your mouth tissues and muscles are not yet used to. Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) explains that a denture can feel large and strange in the mouth for the first few weeks. MouthHealthy, the patient information website of the American Dental Association (ADA), says a denture may feel loose until the muscles of the cheeks and tongue learn to keep it in place. The University Dental Hospital of Manchester also points out that a new denture may be slightly bigger than your old one.
Extra saliva in the first days is common too. According to MouthHealthy, saliva flow may increase for a while, and minor irritation or soreness is not unusual and eases as your mouth gets used to the denture. CUH also says that the extra saliva of the first days settles with time.
How long it takes to get used to a denture varies from person to person. According to the NHS, it can take a few weeks; Cleveland Clinic adds that it sometimes takes months. The University Dental Hospital of Manchester stresses that learning to use a new denture takes time and patience, and that every patient’s experience is different. The NHS and CUH recommend practising putting the denture in and taking it out.
How does speaking get easier with a new denture?
According to CUH, your speech may change slightly at first; reading aloud from a newspaper or a book helps it return to normal within a few weeks. The University Dental Hospital of Manchester also suggests practising by reading aloud or speaking out loud if you find talking difficult.
If the denture clicks or moves when you speak, tell your dentist rather than waiting for it to settle on its own. The NHS and Cleveland Clinic both list a denture that clicks when you talk among the reasons to see a dentist.
How should I eat in the first weeks?
Chewing with a denture also takes practice. The advice from CUH, the University Dental Hospital of Manchester, the NHS and the Oral Health Foundation can be summarised as follows:
- Start with soft foods until you feel comfortable, then move on gradually to firmer foods.
- Cut food into small pieces.
- Chew slowly and evenly, using both sides of your mouth.
- Avoid biting with your front teeth; according to CUH, this can tip the denture. The University Dental Hospital of Manchester suggests chewing food with the canines and the small back teeth just behind them.
- According to the Oral Health Foundation, avoid very sticky and very hard foods at first.
The Oral Health Foundation says that most people return to their usual diet once they are used to their dentures.
What should I do about sore spots?
Painful sore spots can develop where the denture presses too hard on the gum. According to CUH, they are common 24 to 48 hours after you start wearing a denture and can take up to a week to heal. The University Dental Hospital of Manchester also notes that pain and discomfort are common with a new denture and that it is normal to need adjustments.
The sources advise:
- Do not try to adjust the denture yourself. The University Dental Hospital of Manchester stresses that patients should not try to adjust their dentures; avoid home fixes such as filing or bending it.
- If the pain is severe, take the denture out and see your dentist as soon as possible; according to Manchester, you can wear your old denture in the meantime.
- If you cannot get an appointment straight away and your mouth is very sore, CUH says you can wear the denture less or take a break from it; but start wearing it again two to three days before your appointment.
- Wear the denture to your appointment. According to Manchester, this makes it easier for the dentist to see where it hurts.
MouthHealthy also advises seeing a dentist if irritation and soreness persist. Ill-fitting dentures are among the causes of mouth ulcers listed by the NHS; if a sore caused by the denture does not heal after an adjustment, do not wait. The NHS advises having any mouth ulcer that lasts longer than three weeks checked by a dentist or doctor.
Should I use denture adhesive?
Adhesive is not essential. According to MouthHealthy, adhesives are optional; they come as creams, powders, pads, strips or liquids, and each product should be used according to its own instructions. Cleveland Clinic says full dentures may need adhesive to stay in place, whereas dentures that attach to implants usually do not.
The Oral Health Foundation’s guide to denture adhesives says an adhesive can help a well-fitting full denture stay in place, reduce the amount of food getting underneath it, and add comfort and help with chewing; but it cannot fix a denture whose fit has clearly deteriorated. Such a denture should be checked by a dentist rather than managed with adhesive. The same guide gives these steps for cream adhesives:
- Clean and dry the denture.
- Apply a small amount of cream; once a day is usually enough.
- Put the denture in and hold it firmly for a few seconds. If cream oozes out at the edges, you have used too much.
- Wipe away any excess without swallowing it, then do not eat or drink for 5 minutes.
- Take the denture out before bed and clean off all adhesive residue, both from the denture and from your mouth.
The Oral Health Foundation notes that using adhesive incorrectly or in excess can cause problems, so do not use more than recommended.
How do I clean my denture, and what about at night?
The NHS recommends:
- Take the denture out and brush it morning and evening with mild soap or washing-up liquid.
- After meals, take it out and rinse it with cold water.
- Do not brush the denture with toothpaste, as toothpaste can damage it.
- Clean it over a sink filled with water or over a towel, so that it does not break if you drop it.
- Brush your gums, tongue and any remaining teeth morning and evening with fluoride toothpaste.
CUH also says that toothpastes and abrasive products can scratch dentures, and recommends not using hot water for cleaning. MouthHealthy advises a cleaner that does not scratch the surfaces and a soft-bristled brush.
The NHS recommends taking your denture out every night unless your dentist advises otherwise; sleeping with it increases the risk of gum infection and tooth decay from food trapped underneath, and carries a risk of choking. Cleveland Clinic recommends leaving dentures out for at least eight hours a day. According to the Oral Health Foundation, taking them out at night lets the gums rest and helps prevent soreness and infection.
On storing and soaking, the sources differ. The NHS, the Oral Health Foundation and MouthHealthy recommend keeping the denture in water when it is out, so that it does not dry out and lose its shape; the NHS also lists an overnight cleaning solution as an option. CUH, on the other hand, advises against leaving the denture in solution all night and suggests using solutions with cleaning tablets once or twice a week for about 10 minutes. Ask your dentist which cleaning product and soaking method suit the material of your denture.
When should I go back to have the denture adjusted?
Adjustment appointments are a normal part of getting a new denture. According to Cleveland Clinic, several adjustments are to be expected in the first few weeks, because the soft tissues of the mouth take time to adapt. MouthHealthy also notes that follow-up appointments are generally needed after a denture is fitted, to check and adjust the fit. If you are having a denture made away from home, it is worth asking beforehand how these first adjustments will be arranged.
According to the NHS and Cleveland Clinic, see your dentist without waiting for your check-up, or after the settling-in period, if:
- the denture clicks when you talk, slips or no longer fits well
- it hurts or pinches your gums
- it is worn, cracked or broken (take the broken pieces with you)
- your gums are very red or bleed, or you have bad breath; according to the NHS, this can be a sign of gum disease, a fungal infection or tooth decay
The fit also changes over time. According to the NHS, a denture can become loose as the gums and jawbone shrink and change shape with age; Cleveland Clinic recommends having a denture relined every one to two years, or whenever the fit changes. If a denture keeps moving, implant-supported options may be worth discussing; they are described on our pages about dental implants and full-arch implants.
How do we follow up a new denture at Rönesans?
Prosthetic treatment is one of our clinic’s fields, and prostheses are made with CAD/CAM at the dental laboratory we work with. Follow-up after treatment follows a defined process at our clinic: during the settling-in period, problems such as sore spots, looseness, or difficulty speaking or chewing are assessed at an examination, and the dentist decides on any adjustment needed. If the denture keeps moving, implant-supported options can also be discussed; in that case the jawbone is assessed with cone-beam CT (CBCT) at our clinic.
If treatment is needed, we give you a written treatment and cost plan showing the procedures and the unit and total costs, and you know from the start which dentist will treat you. The cost is confirmed after the examination. The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 22:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00, Türkiye time. We communicate in English and German: you can send photos on WhatsApp for a preliminary assessment, or write to us through our contact page.