Getting used to new dentures can take a little while. It’s a gradual adaptation process, and, although properly fitting dentures can give you the ability to eat most or all of your favorite foods, it may not be easy at first. Remember: eating with dentures is different.
It’s understandable to be a little nervous about your first time eating with dentures in public, but if you follow these tips, there’s nothing to be worried about. Instead, eating at a restaurant can be an important step in helping your dentures feel normal. We’re talking about traditional dentures here, not implant dentures. Implant dentures which generally function like natural teeth and have few, if any, eating restrictions, depending on the type of implant denture you choose.
Start a New Day with Breakfast
Breakfast is a great choice for your first meal out because there are lots of great choices that are easy to eat and won’t cause any notice. You can skip right over the oatmeal and grits–unless that’s what you really want–and pick something with eggs in most styles. Select breakfast sausage over bacon, which can turn out to be very chewy and may be hard to eat at first. You can also choose ham or even (tender) pork chops for a breakfast meat, just remember to cut it into small pieces for eating.
Waffles, pancakes, and French toast are all good choices, too. Breakfast potatoes are good, unless it’s very crispy hash browns, which can be hard to chew.
Avoid breakfast burritos and toast made with thick, crusty bread. Straightforward white or wheat are the best options.
Quick Lunch Options
Lunch poses a little bit more of a challenge because for most of us, some form of sandwich is the normal choice for lunch. Taking bites out of a sandwich can take a little practice with dentures. Soup and salad are great choices, but know what comes on the side. Thick, crusty bread may be delicious with soup, but it’s hard to chew with dentures at first. Salad dressings that have a lot of seeds can get under your dentures and irritate your gums.
But if you do want a sandwich, pick something soft, like egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad. Avoid crusty rolls with seeds. As with breakfast toast, white or wheat bread are the best choices. Lettuce on the sandwich might also pose a problem. If you’re not confident you can bite through it easily, ask for it on the side or remove it yourself.
Sit-Down Dinners
Dinner’s got a lot of great options, but there are a few problems to watch out for. Steak, of course, is a potential problem and shouldn’t be tackled until you are very confident. We’ll talk about it in a separate section. If you absolutely must have beef, try a roast. Poultry, pork, fish, and other seafoods make great choices. Easy to eat and normal to order, they are perfect selections for your first meal out. Just remember to avoid fried chicken, barbecued ribs, and other meats you have to gnaw off the bone.
Sides offer many good choices again. Just avoid corn on the cob and baked potatoes, which can have a very tough skin.
Can You Eat Steak with Dentures?
This is one of the big questions people want answered: can I eat steak with my dentures? The answer depends on the dentures and it depends on the steak. Let’s consider four different types of dentures.
Implant-supported dentures: Implant-supported dentures are connected firming to the dental implants by screws or cement. The denture is designed to convey chewing force directly from the bone to the denture teeth. With these dentures, you can chew almost as if you had natural teeth. You can eat all types of steak with these dentures (and just about anything else, too).
Implant-retained dentures: These dentures are held in place by dental implants, but they rest on your gums. Biting force is better than with traditional dentures, but not as good as implant-supported dentures. You should be able to eat most cuts of steak, but remember to cut the meat up small.
FOY® Dentures: FOY® Dentures can be implant dentures, so they might function as above, but if they aren’t implant dentures, they might still allow you to eat steak. FOY® Dentures have the best fit possible, so they are quite secure. Ceramic teeth have a better cutting edge than traditional plastic teeth, so you can chew better, too. With FOY® Dentures, you should be able to eat most cuts of steak.
Traditional Dentures: Steak poses a challenge with traditional dentures, and most people find they can’t do it. However, if you want to eat steak with your traditional dentures, choose a soft cut that’s been marinated and order it medium or even medium rare. For eating out, maybe try a bite of someone else’s steak before you order your own.
Success!
What’s most important about your first meal out with dentures is that it’s a success. That way, you can begin feeling normal again with your dentures. The psychological achievements in your early adaptation process are as important as the physical ones.
If you are looking for great fitting new dentures in Columbia, SC, we can help. Please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment with a denture dentist at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
