The prospect of wearing dentures can be both an exciting and a trying time for patients in Florence. Having lived with a complete smile for so long, it can feel disheartening to realize that you need dentures to restore your smile’s appearance and function again.
Maybe you’re afraid you’ll have to miss out on some of your favorite foods. Well, we’re here to tell you that not all is lost! There may need to be some food prep changes to eat what you love, but for the most part patients can rest assured that their favorites aren’t off-limits.
What Are Dentures Made Of?
The material of a denture is vastly different from your natural teeth, which is why not all denture-wearers can consume hard foods. Let’s take a closer look:
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- Framework: This is the support that holds the artificial teeth in place. It’s comprised of a plate that’s made from a rigid resin or polymer. It’s not completely solid, as it needs some flexibility to take the impact of biting and chewing. Depending on if resin or polymer is used, the material will most likely determine the lifespan of your denture as well.
- Teeth: The teeth of denture devices are commonly constructed from porcelain, which can shaped and shaded to match any natural teeth in your mouth. Porcelain is often used for crowns, bridges, and dentures due to their durability and beauty.
In spite of their durable, flexible construction, dentures are not meant to tackle hard, crunchy foods on a daily basis. Items like nuts, hard apples, and granola bars, need to be cut down or reduced to a softer state to be safely consumable.
But when it comes to fruits and veggies, there’s quite a few fresh options that are easy to eat raw. Many cooking methods can make veggies less crunchy without losing the taste or nutrients.
Exploring Fruits and Veggies
When choosing fruits and vegetables that are safe to eat with your dentures, there are two important features to keep in mind: ripeness and cooking method.
Ripeness: Most fruit is eaten raw, with optional cutting or slicing. But ripeness can make the difference between biting a fresh mango or having to slice it up first. Fruits are naturally soft once they’re ripe, and there are a lot of fruits that qualify: oranges, pears, peaches, bananas, and more. The best place to get these fresh are at your local supermarket or neighborhood farmers’ market.
Cooking Method: It’s not often that people choose to eat vegetables raw, so it’s pretty common to see them accompanied with a dipping sauce, butter, or cooked and seasoned. But when it comes to denture-friendly veggies, we recommend cooking vegetables to soften them up. You can still season them or use a dipping sauce, but they’ll at least be soft to chew with your dentures. Read below at Cook It! for more tips on cooking vegetables without losing essential nutrients.
Naturally Soft Fruits and Veggies
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Clik here to view.Sometimes you don’t have time to spend prepping food, or perhaps you just want a quick snack., Here’s a list of soft fruits and vegetables to tide you over or try them for a healthy dessert.
- Blueberries
- Oranges (peeled)
- Peaches (remove the pit)
- Bananas
- Applesauce
- Tomatoes
Need to Be Cut
Some fruits and vegetables need preparatory work. It can be dangerous for your dentures to eat these fruits raw, so we recommend that these be cut into smaller chunks for easy chewing.
- Apples
- Pineapples
- Pears
- Carrots
- Broccoli
Preparation Tips!
Take a look at a few ways you can prepare your fruits and vegetables without losing taste or vitamins.
Blend It!
Other than softened fruits and veggies, one of our favorite ways to eat these treats is mixed together in a delicious juice or smoothie. It not only breaks down chunks of fruit into digestible pieces, but also can be coupled with healthy yogurt or ice cream to create a delectable treat.
You won’t have to worry about the seeds or pulp getting stuck in your dentures, or potentially damaging them trying to crunch on an apple. There are many denture-friendly recipes available online, with plenty that combine fruits AND vegetables into a healthy concoction.
Cook It!
For denture-wearers eating crunchy veggies raw can be dangerous for your device. In these cases, cooking seems like the logical choice, but some patients may be afraid of losing the essential nutrients in the process. Luckily, there are two cooking methods we can recommend that resolves this conundrum:
- Baking: Using the oven to bake your vegetables is a delicious and nutritious way to preserve important nutrients. For example, tomatoes release the antioxident lycopene when cooked.
- Steaming: The steaming method is popular with lovers of low-fat, as it retains a lot of the nutrients and moisture in the vegetables. This is especially useful for broccoli, which tends to lose its nutrients when using other cooking methods.
Sweetener Substitutes
We often look to sugar to satisfy our sweet tooth. However, too much sugar can be bad for you and your smile, even for denture-wearers. As a solution, you can substitute sugar with some of these alternatives:
- Agave nectar
- Honey
- Neotame
- Stevia
Keep Cleanliness in Mind
This may go without saying, but in spite of the different cooking or blending methods, there will always be little seeds, chunks, or pulp that could get stuck in you dentures. At the end of each day, it’s so important to rinse and clean your dentures and submerge your dentures in a cleaning solution each night as well.
If leftover fruit and vegetable pulp is present on your dentures, it could fester and feed the bacteria that can infect your gums. So continue to eat the fruits and veggies you love in any form but be sure to clean your dentures liberally!
Got Questions About Denture-Friendly Food? Ask Us!
Fruits and vegetables aren’t the only food group that denture-wearers tend to worry about. If you have questions about other foods to avoid or soften, don’t hesitate to ask us at Advanced Dental Center of Florence. Dr. Griffin and our team are ready to help, and we’ll be happy to schedule you for a consultation about your dentures or denture care.