Nearly two months ago, I had my remaining teeth removed and immediate dentures put in their place. The journey has been anything but easy and definitely life-changing. As time goes on, I’m getting more used to having them and eating is not the chore it once was. Lessons definitely have been learned and I think I’m finished with the most difficult days.
Several things come to mind when I share my thoughts on this journey. The first is that no one could be prepared for the changes that getting dentures will bring about. I took so many things for granted when I had my own teeth. Getting dentures definitely changes the whole process of eating food. I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds since the beginning of this journey. Your taste receptors are definitely different and food doesn’t taste almost as good as it once did.
I have gradually gotten back to eating some foods I enjoyed before denture placement. Sandwiches have been especially challenging. I have found it’s difficult to use my front teeth to break the bread into pieces. But as we say, practice makes perfect and I am getting better. I did eat a pork chop one evening and I found that I have to cut the meat into small pieces before putting it in my mouth. I have as of yet to eat a steak,,,maybe one day soon.
One of the biggest differences in eating meals after having dentures installed is that eating meals is now really a chore! I have to focus more on each bite of food that I put into my mouth. Since the dentures contain teeth that aren’t connected to my body’s nervous system, I have to focus more on each bite. I don’t eat nearly the volume of food that I used to, which at least in part is responsible for my weight loss.
I have also found that I pay a whole lot more attention to other people’s teeth. I’ve noticed quite a few that are missing several teeth and wonder if they’ll be facing that same denture placement decision that I did. I also notice older folks who have their own beautiful, natural teeth and find myself being somewhat jealous. I only wish that I had taken better care of the teeth I had. It’s certainly true in life sometimes you don’t realize how much something means until it’s no longer there. Such has been the case in this dental journey.
David Lee 