Dentures? It’s Wise to Avoid These 6 Foods
Dentures, otherwise known as ‘false teeth’, are great solutions for individuals who have lost a significant amount of their natural teeth and are having trouble eating and speaking as a result. While it is possible to enjoy most of your favorite meals when you have partial or complete dentures, it is wise to steer clear of certain foods that could potentially cause discomfort or damage the false teeth. Here is a list of six of these foods that are best avoided.
Toffees
Toffees and any other sticky or chewy candy can dislodge dentures and make it extremely difficult to keep them clean. If you have a sweet tooth, opt instead for yogurt, soft puddings, cake, etc. Just remember to rinse your mouth and your dentures with water after consuming high-sugar foods to avoid bacteria build-up.
Nuts
It takes time to adapt to learning how to eat with dentures. Unfortunately, it is impossible to learn how to eat certain foods without accidentally cracking the dentures or getting food lodged underneath them. Nuts are a good example of this. Most nuts are rather hard and take a fair amount of force to crunch up. Because they remain hard even after chewing, there is a high probability that little pieces will stay inside the mouth and make their way under the dentures, causing discomfort. Make up for the loss of healthy fats by substituting nuts with pitted olives.
Popcorn
Regardless of whether you have dentures or not, popcorn kernels have a special way of getting stuck in the gums. As satisfying a snack as it is, it can sometimes take hours to dislodge these kernels, resulting in discomfort that could have easily been avoided. For people with dentures, along with getting stuck in the gums, the kernels can also make their way underneath the oral appliance, which can prove quite painful.
Seeded bread
Just like popcorn kernels and nuts, seeds from seeded bread and crackers can make their way underneath a person’s dentures and stay put until they are removed and cleaned. A better alternative is to opt for wholegrain bread and crackers where the seeds are baked into the dough rather than added in loose after baking.
Crunchy fruits and veggies
When you are forced to chew quite vigorously, as is the case when eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables, there is a lot of pressure on the dentures. This can lead to the dislodgment of the appliance at inconvenient moments when you may struggle to get them back into place once again. As such, it is best to get your ‘5 a day’ by making healthy smoothies.
Nut butter
Nut butters are sticky by nature, making it challenging to remove them from dentures. The only way to effectively remove nut butters from the dentures is to remove them and brush away the build-up. Since this usually isn’t possible when out and about, it is best to avoid these spreads unless you are sitting down to savor a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at home!
Just because you shouldn’t consume these foods doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy your meals. The key is to find workable substitutes that promise flavor without compromising your oral comfort.
