How Do You Know if Your Dentures are the Right Size?

If you’ve recently gotten dentures in an attempt to bring your beautiful smile back to life, then you’re likely dealing with some aftereffects that could be annoying. Many new denture wearers find that their set just doesn’t fit – a common problem that can become frustrating the longer you wait for your new teeth to adjust to your mouth.

Common Signs Your Dentures are Too Big

After you’ve replaced your natural teeth with dentures, your mouth will take some time to adjust. In fact, your jawbone will shrink for anywhere from six to 12 months following your denture surgery, which can itself cause your dentures to feel too big.  After surgery, your mouth will feel swollen and you’ll likely have to modify your bite to even the pressure your teeth distribute during the transition. Chewing is also an adjustment that will feel unusual at first. During this time, you should focus on eating soft foods and don’t require you to chew much, like scrambled eggs, pasta and bake potatoes. Remember to cut all your food into small pieces to help.

While adjusting to new biting and chewing habits, you might feel that your dentures aren’t the right size. Here are a few common signs that they might just be too big.

• Your mouth and gums continue to feel swollen, becoming red and bleeding
• You find yourself gagging because your dentures move around a lot
• You aren’t able to adjust your bite and chew because your dentures slip out

What to Do if Your Dentures are Too Big

The first thing you should is contact your local dentist. Then you should: 

• Adjust your tongue to help keep the dentures in place
• Use dental adhesive to keep the dentures from sliding out
• Stay patient and remember that time will heal your smile into perfection