Getting dentures for the first time can feel very daunting, especially as you begin to learn about some of the changes you have to make. If you’re wondering what food you can and can’t eat with dentures, we’ve put together this guide to help minimise any issues or discomfort.
Why Can’t You Eat Some Foods?
It takes a while after you have dentures put in to be able to eat solid foods again, however, even after this period of adjustment, there are some foods it’s better not to have. This is because the gaps around your dentures can easily get food stuck in them, which is less noticeable than when food gets stuck in your natural teeth.
As well as this, it’s possible for dentures to become dislodged or move out of place if you bite into any particularly hard foods, which can be very uncomfortable. Most items are fairly common sense when it comes to what to avoid. Generally, any food that is tough or you would struggle to chew using your natural teeth is a bad idea when you have dentures.
Food You Should Eat
There are plenty of delicious foods you can still enjoy.
Most of these foods fall into a few categories which include:
- Ripened fruits that are naturally soft: The majority of these are easy to enjoy once they are ripe, but if there are particular harder fruits you enjoy, you could try blending them into smoothies so you don’t have to miss out.
- Chocolate and spreads: If you have more of a sweet tooth, you’ll be glad to hear that chocolate is still safe to eat as long as you avoid any that contain nuts or sticky toffee, for example.
- Ground meats: Ground meats are much easier to chew than those on the bone. Slow-cooked meats are also ideal as these will be very tender.
Specific Foods To Enjoy
- Smoothies
- Mangoes
- Bananas
- Chocolate spread
- Jam
- Broth
- Yoghurt
- Mashed potato
- Scrambles eggs
- Fish
- Poultry
- Juice
- Pancakes
- Waffles
Foods You Shouldn’t Eat
While wearing dentures can feel limiting, there aren’t too many things you need to avoid. Some food items that can cause discomfort or lead to sores developing can usually be sorted into categories which include:
- Hard foods: As previously mentioned, nuts and popcorn kernels, for example, can be particularly hazardous if you wear dentures. They cause uneven pressure to be applied to the dentures, which can cause discomfort and may even dislodge them.
- Tough meats: These take a lot of chewing and can also cause discomfort as the extra stress placed on the dentures may lead to rubbing.
- Sticky foods: These can pull your dentures out of place, which means that food substances will be able to work their way underneath and cause irritation. Foods like peanut butter and toffee should be avoided for this reason.
Specific Foods To Avoid
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Tough meat
- Peanut butter
- Toffee
- Apples
- Carrot sticks
- Corn on the cob
- Chewing gum
- Coffee (due to staining)
- Steak
- Gummy sweets
- Crusty bread
- Marshmallows
- Taffy
Partial dentures don’t have as many limitations as full dentures. If you have any questions about foods you can eat or are having trouble with your dentures, make sure to contact The Denture Clinic today.
Our experienced team will happily help you with any query or worry you have.
