When you get dentures, it takes about two weeks before you can eat any solid foods. And, when you can, it’s almost as if you have to retrain yourself on how to eat food. You simply won’t be able to chomp and munch in the same way as when you had a full set of teeth. This is ever so poignant when it comes to things like pizza. So how to eat pizza with dentures?
We’ll discuss how to eat pizza with dentures. As with most solid foods, you’ll have to ensure you chew on each side of your mouth simultaneously while ensuring the texture of the pizza doesn’t cause them to dislodge. Therefore, the kind of pizza you eat and its toppings will be another determining factor here.
It’s not difficult, but it does take some adjustment in getting used to eating pizza this way. Once you do, it will be smooth sailing; for the most part in any case. Even with the greatest caution, you may experience some discomfort from the crust cutting your gums and displacing your dentures.
Pizza Crust
Because pizza tends to be a crunchy food, you want to stay away from overly crispy and doughy crusts. Ideally, it should have a medium crispness with a somewhat soft texture. This will be easiest on your dentures. When you get used to them more, you can play around with varying crispness to see what you like best.
In some situations, it may be better to tear off the extra crust on the end of a slice. You can let this soak in olive oil so it will soften up. You can then eat it once you’ve finished with the pizza. Also, try to avoid crusts with sesame seeds or cornmeal on them. These will get lodged and weaken the denture’s adhesion.
Type Toppings
How to eat pizza with dentures will come down to the type and toppings on the pizza. Of all these, cheese will be your worst enemy. Therefore, you should wait for the pizza to cool down to room temperature. This will reduce the heat and gooeyness of the cheese as this will prevent your dentures from coming out.
The toppings will make a difference too. Caramelized onions, sausage, and pepperoni may cause some issues with your dentures dislodging. Other toppings like bacon, pancetta, prosciutto or salami are also a potential concern. If anything looks questionable in regards to your dentures, remove them from the pizza.
But softened vegetables like artichoke hearts, olives, and green peppers shouldn’t present problems. This is also true of other meats like anchovies, ham, or ground beef (as long as it’s crumbled and not in ball form). Herbs such as basil, oregano, garlic, and parsley shouldn’t present a problem as long as they are in small pieces on the pizza.
Use a Knife And Fork
When you do finally have a delicious slice in front of you, you will not be able to pick it up and shove it in your mouth. You must use a knife and fork to cut the pizza. This makes it more manageable to eat with the least amount of mishaps.
When first learning to eat pizza with your dentures, ensure you cut the bites very small. Increase the size when you understand what you can handle and what displaces your dentures. It will be a bit of a juggling act with a learning curve, but you’ll get it down in no time.
It may seem strange, but using a fork and knife is the only way you’ll be able to enjoy pizza.
Method of Chewing
The final point in knowing how to eat pizza with dentures is your method of chewing. You will have to be very deliberate and conscientious of the way you do this. First, you must chew on both sides of your mouth at the same time. This is the only way to ensure they don’t come out.
When you cut your piece of pizza, put a bite on the right and left sides. Then begin chewing. If you have one piece of food you switch from side to side, as with normal teeth, it will dislodge your false teeth. Avoid chomping down with your front teeth too; it will surely displace the dentures.
This is also true when biting down on the fork. Avoid putting your front teeth down onto the metal, it has the potential to pull your dentures out. Bite down on the food attached to the fork and then pull it out of your mouth rather than the fork itself.
A Note about Adhesive
In order for your dentures to stay in place while you eat pizza, you must use a good adhesive. While these tend to be more expensive, they’re worth it so you can continue enjoying food without worrying about embarrassing accidents.
Glue types provide the best adhesion, but it can be difficult to clean; especially when pizza comes into the equation. Powders and seals are okay, but they aren’t as strong of a bond as a glue. Yet, cleanup is much more efficient.
This means you may have to try a few brands and types of adhesive before you find one that works best when eating pizza. However, your dentist should have some excellent recommendations. Otherwise, you can ask friends and other people on social media for their suggestions.
Conclusion
Learning how to eat pizza with dentures isn’t difficult, but it can be painstaking and frustrating at first. Remember, you must wait for at least two weeks so the painful sensitivity in your gums can heal and subside. Then, you can start by eating a soft slice of pizza you cut into small edible pieces.
You will have to chew on both sides of your mouth simultaneously in order for this to work. The idea here is that you want to prevent your dentures from dislodging from the gums. If you do one side then the other, they will likely come out.
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