How long does it take to get used to a full denture?

When patients hear of full dentures, they are often worried about the adjustment period needed to get used to wearing them. At Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown, our dentists, Drs. Mark Duncan and Mandy Holley, can walk patients through the use of full dentures to replace missing teeth and the time necessary to adjust to them.

What is a full denture?

A  full dentures is an oral appliance that is worn in the mouth to replace all the teeth in the dental arch. They may be used to replace the upper teeth, the lower teeth, or both the upper and lower dental arches. These dentures are made with high-quality, medical-grade acrylics and include false teeth and false gum tissues. The denture is held in place with dental adhesives to ensure they function properly.

How long does it take to adjust to full dentures?

In most situations, patients who obtain full dentures may need several weeks to adjust to the use of full dentures. This is because the gums and soft tissues of the mouth have to adjust to the base of the artificial teeth, even if denture fixative is used. During this adjustment period, many patients switch to a soft food diet until they adapt. Patients will also have to get used to avoiding certain foods that can damage their dentures or make it difficult to keep them clean and functioning, such as hard candies, caramels, and popcorn.

Consider an alternative way to keep dentures fixed I place

For patients who continue to struggle with adjusting to dentures and want to have another option available to them that does not require messy denture adhesives to keep them in place, we may recommend the use of dental implants along the dental arch to anchor the dentures in place. Implant-retained dentures often have better function and give patients more confidence than full dentures with denture fixative.

Learn more about full dentures with the team at Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown

Call Drs. Mark Duncan and Mandy Holley of Georgetown, TX to discuss the advantages of using full dentures to replace missing teeth from the smile. Our team is located at 3622 Williams Drive in Building 2 and can be reached for an appointment by calling (512) 819-9100.