Partial Denture for One Missing Tooth: Getting Used To Your Partial Denture

Learning to live with a partial denture for one missing tooth takes time. It will take several weeks for you to get used to having a foreign object in your mouth, and it may be difficult to chew or speak clearly for the first few weeks after getting dentures. There are several things you can do to make the adjustment to wearing dentures easier.

Adjusting to dentures

It takes some people up to nine weeks to adjust to wearing a partial denture for one missing tooth. However, most people get used to dentures in three to six weeks. It may take longer to adjust to a partial denture if you have had a missing tooth for a long time. Because you will be learning to perform basic oral functions with a foreign device in your mouth, you may have trouble speaking and chewing for the first few weeks after getting partial dentures.

Chewing with dentures

Because dentures are replacement teeth, they allow you to chew food thoroughly so you can swallow and digest it more easily. However, dentures are not quite as strong as natural teeth, so it takes time to learn how to use them to chew. You should eat a diet of soft, easy-to-eat foods that require minimal chewing for the first few weeks after getting partial dentures. Once you get used to having a foreign object in your mouth, you can work your way up to your usual diet, but it may still be helpful to cut foods into smaller bites than you are used to.

Speaking with dentures

Many people do not realize that teeth are important for speaking clearly. Missing even just one tooth can prevent you from pronouncing certain words clearly. Partial dentures will help you speak clearly, but it may take a few weeks for you to get used to talking with them. Your speech may be slurred for a few weeks. Try the following tips to regulate your speech patterns with dentures:

• Sing: Singing is a form of speech training and can help you get used to pronouncing words correctly with dentures.
• Strengthen cheek muscles: Your cheek muscles help pronounce words. Strengthening them after receiving dentures can help you speak clearly.
• Practice patience: It takes time to get used to speaking with dentures. Do what you can to adjust to your new oral device but do not set high expectations of being able to speak clearly right after getting a partial denture for one missing tooth.