If this is your first holiday season with dentures, you may be excited about having your full smile back. You’ll be able to confidently show it off in photos while enjoying some of your favorite foods more easily than before. However, as reliable as they are, certain items you may have for Thanksgiving can be difficult to eat with dentures. To help make this delicious feast ahead more comfortable, here’s what you should avoid.
1.) Carbonated Drinks
You may want to enjoy a soda or other carbonated drink to wash down the food you’ll have during the day. Aside from being full of sugar, they spell trouble for denture wearers because of the carbon dioxide used to make them bubbly! Your saliva turns it into an acid that can harm your oral health.
Not only that, when you drink it, you may have an unsettling sensation. Your restoration may be more likely to move and slip. Instead, enjoy a glass of water or herbal teas, such as ginger or chamomile, if you want some flavor.
2.) Tough Meats
As the main course, there may be a poultry or pork staple your family loves. Turkey, chicken, duck, and ham can be tasty, but certain cuts of them can be tougher than others. It’ll take more bite force and work to properly chew them, which can increase your risk of slippage or damage if there’s bone in it!
Instead, choose more tender parts of the meat or cut them into bite-sized pieces so you have an easier time enjoying them fully.
3.) Crunchy or Hard Foods
Crunchy fruits and vegetables can be satisfying to munch on, but they require a lot of bite power to get through. Raw apples, celery, or carrots can cause your prosthetic to shift, so consider cutting them or blending them into a smoothie or puree instead.
Popcorn and hard nuts may be some options to graze on as well, but they can cause damage to your dentures. Not only that, but they can get stuck underneath them, which can lead to irritation. Softer options you can try are hummus, berries, or seedless grapes.
4.) Certain Sweets
At the end of the night, you may want to enjoy a hard candy or other sticky/chewy sweet. Peanut brittle, toffee, marshmallows, and lollipops can increase your risk of oral health issues while also potentially loosening the suction between your gums and dentures. You may still want a treat afterward, so consider a choice that’s easier to chew. Dark chocolate or sugar-free gum can be great picks!
About the Author
Dr. David Thomas earned his dental degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He is happy to help the Burien community get the full smile they love with the help of reliable tooth replacement options like dentures. By ensuring your restoration is made from high-quality materials, you can trust that it looks just like natural while being comfortable. If you want to know how you can better care for your prosthetic, schedule an appointment or call Dr. Thomas’s office at (206) 244-4622.
