Eating is an emotional experience and your dentures can either enhance or limit the joy of that experience.

Let’s face it - denture teeth just do not chew food as well as natural teeth do.  You can become disheartened with the limited choices you have and some may find their social life becoming inhibited as a result.  

Because the upper denture must cover the roof of your mouth, where much of the tasting occurs, things don’t seem to taste as good.  If your dentures are loose, this can compound the problem. 

There have even been studies that show some denture wearers suffer from poor nutrition because they become adept at swallowing un-chewed food and may make unwise choices for their meals. 

Eating food is how we nourish our bodies and it should be enjoyable as it feeds our spirits.

The social aspect of eating can be discouraging if you are always having to leave the table to rinse out the food from under your denture. 

As your biological age increases, your body’s ability to adapt to change lessens.  We don’t tolerate discomfort as well.  Or perhaps there are just more discomforts to tolerate. 

Keep your spirits up, and do the best you can with what you’ve got.  Don’t let your dentures interfere with your social life. 

Tracy Merkley is a denturist with the Central Park Dental & Implant Centre in Victoria, BC