A new set of dentures will need you to adjust to the presence of strange objects inside your mouth. Surprisingly, they also mean that you need to sort of “learn” to do a few things that you did naturally before, like speaking, laughing, and of course, chewing.
Apart from this, you will also notice that your mouth produces more saliva that sits awkwardly in the mouth. This will constantly rinse the recovering tissues to protect and heal them. Some soreness, irritation and discomfort can be felt for a few weeks, which should gradually disappear.
At first, you may feel the dentures interfere with the surrounding areas in the mouth, like the tongue and the lips. The dentures may actually seem to fall off every time you laugh out loud. This is more so if you have dentures on the lower side of the mouth. Don’t worry, these are minor issues that appear serious only because you are getting used to your dentures.
In a couple of weeks, the salivation will come to near normal giving you relief. You will be able to eat soft foods right from the first few days. You will notice a change in the perception of taste, which will slowly come to normal. Soon afterwards, you can gradually switch to more solid and harder foodstuffs. This is also when you “learn” to talk again! You should be able to start speaking normally and comfortably by this time.
Some people, especially women, may sometimes feel a burning sensation on the roof of the mouth. The exact reason for this is not known. If you do feel such a burning you don’t need to do anything about it, but let your dentist know.
In about four weeks, most of your difficulties in adjustment should have been overcome and you will be able to get back to normal activities without hindrance. Some people may learn quickly to adapt while others may take a few weeks longer. It is perfectly normal.