The first weeks with a denture
How settling in with a new denture goes, and which adjustments are normal early on.
How recovery goes
The first days
The denture feels big in your mouth and you make more saliva: both are normal and ease within a few days. Start with soft food cut small, and chew on both sides at once so the denture stays balanced.
Read aloud: speech settles faster that way.
The first two weeks
One or two spots where the denture presses usually appear. Don't file or adjust it yourself: come in, even if it only hurts a little. Wearing it shows us exactly where to ease it, so come in with it in your mouth for a few hours beforehand.
Daily care
Take the denture out after each meal and rinse it. In the evening, brush it with a separate brush and mild soap, not toothpaste, which scratches it. At night, unless we told you otherwise, keep it out in a glass of water so the gum can rest.
After the first month
You chew and speak almost as before. The gum and bone change over time, so a denture needs check-ups and, every few years, a reline.
This is usual
- The feeling that the denture is too big, in the first days.
- More saliva at first.
- One or two pressure spots in the first weeks.
- Slightly changed speech for a few days.
This is not usual
- A sore that hasn't healed in ten days.
- The denture moving a lot when you speak, after the first two weeks.
- Pain when chewing that doesn't ease.
- A crack in the denture.
Call us if
- A painful sore that bleeds or swells.
- The denture has broken.
- Swelling of the gum or cheek that is growing.
Reviewed by Dr. Voinea ·
CMDR Romania · Galați University of Medicine and Pharmacy · General Dentistry