7 Denture-Friendly Foods to Enjoy This Thanksgiving

7 Thanksgiving Foods That Are Denture-Approved

While there are a few foods you should avoid, there are still plenty of denture-friendly foods you can enjoy this holiday season! To ensure minimal movement and tugging, while still allowing your taste buds to fully enjoy your meal, try adding these to your plate:

1. Turkey

Thanksgiving is all about this! Eat your turkey—it's perfectly fine for your teeth, so feel free to “gobble” it up! Despite not containing starch or sugar, protein is rich in phosphorus, which combines with calcium and vitamin D to create strong bones and teeth.

2. Raw or Cooked Vegetables

You can keep your teeth and body healthy with vegetables. Chewing them causes your mouth to produce extra saliva, which helps you rid it of harmful bacteria. Microwaved, steamed, or boiled vegetables tend to have a softer texture. For your holiday meals, this season, green beans, carrots, broccoli, and spinach all make excellent choices.

3. Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie contains a lot of calcium and vitamin C, which is good for your gums. It is best to eat it right after dinner, so you will have more saliva to wash away the leftover sugary food.

4. Cheese

Cheese is actually great for your teeth, so all cheese lovers out there, rejoice! Cheese is full of calcium and protein, which lowers your mouth's pH and neutralizes plaque acids.

5. Slow-Cooked or Ground Meats

Slow-cooked and ground meats are easy to digest, and less chewing minimizes gum irritation. Besides, tender meat is more flavorful and easier to eat, so why not indulge?

6. Chocolate

This season, you're in luck if holiday fudge and chocolatey treats are on your must-eat list! As long as there are no nuts, toffees, or other crunchy ingredients in the chocolate, it is safe to eat even for denture wearers.

7. Raw or Cooked Fruit

Denture-friendly foods for holiday charcuterie trays include seedless grapes, oranges, and cherry tomatoes. Baked pears, apples, and other fruits can also be enjoyed as a dessert without damaging your teeth.

8 Thanksgiving Foods to Avoid When Wearing Dentures

If you'd rather spend your holiday with your family than your dentist, there are plenty of holiday staples you will need to avoid that can damage your dentures. This Thanksgiving, make sure to leave the following foods off your plate:

1. Chewy or Tough Meats

While eating tough meats, like well-done steak, chewing can cause dentures to become dislodged and unstable. Too much chewing can cause sore spots on your gums where the dentures meet your gums. The consumption of beef jerky and steak should be minimized or completely avoided if you want to avoid getting these sores.

2. Nuts

Dentures can suffer greatly from chomping on nuts. These foods put pressure on the denture's teeth and palate. Moreover, nuts may have sharp edges that might get stuck in or under dentures, causing irritation.

3. Popcorn

Popcorn balls are a favorite during the holiday season, and popcorn is a favorite snack for most football watchers. While the popped pieces of corn are soft, the kernels are hard and can get lodged in your teeth. It can be extremely painful if it gets stuck under your dentures.

4. Sticky Foods

Many of the time-honored treats of the season, such as toffee, caramel, and peanut brittle can be difficult for people with dentures to chew. In addition to sticking to your teeth, they tend to dislodge your dentures. If particles get caught under them, they won’t fit properly and may start to slip.

5. Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without cranberry sauce as turkey's tasty sidekick. Nonetheless, it is not surprising that cranberry sauce is filled with sugars that promote bad oral bacteria growth. If you do intend to serve cranberry sauce at your dinner table, make it with fresh cranberries rather than canned.

6. Sugary Desserts

Desserts are an integral part of Thanksgiving dinner. However, pecan pies, tarts, and buttery apple pies all may cause dental damage. They may taste delicious, but they can be full of starch and sugar which causes bacteria to erode tooth enamel.

7. Stuffing

People enjoy many types of stuffing people with their turkey, from apple and walnut to sausage and herb! Unfortunately, most stuffing recipes involve starchy bread, which can cause cavities and decay if left on the teeth.

8. Alcohol and Sugary Drinks

If you enjoy your favorite drink over Thanksgiving weekend, indulge in a glass or two, but be sure to consume them in moderation. Too much wine, beer, and sugary drinks can damage your teeth. In addition to staining and discoloration, drinks high in alcohol can also dry out your mouth and reduce your saliva production, which is the main remover of plaque and bacteria.

Prepare Ahead of Time for Easy Eating

Making sure you pick the right foods is half the battle but preparing properly before the event is the other. The best way to ensure your dentures are the last thing on your mind during Thanksgiving dinner is to visit your dentist beforehand. The dentist will conduct a dental exam, adjust your dentures as needed, and make sure your dentures are good to go. With that in mind, you can feel confident that they will be in great shape on the big day.

How to Care for Your Dentures This Thanksgiving

Even though your denture teeth are false, they should still be cleaned regularly. However, brushing alone is not enough to clean dentures. To keep them healthy and in good condition, you have to take other precautions.

What’s the Best Way to Clean Dentures?

Plaque and food adhere to dentures just as they do to natural teeth. During eating and drinking, dentures and teeth develop dental plaque, a sticky film of bacteria. Plaque can build up on your dentures if you don't clean them properly, putting you at risk of gum disease and bad breath.

Your oral health depends on regular denture cleaning. Here are the supplies you'll need:

• A soft-bristled toothbrush
• Water
• Denture cleaning solution or mild soap
• A soft towel

Dentures should be brushed at least twice a day. Ideally, you should brush them every morning and evening—but don't brush your dentures with toothpaste. Many toothpaste brands contain abrasive ingredients. Dentures can gradually be damaged by these kinds of toothpaste, leaving scratches and small cracks behind. Brush your dentures instead with a toothbrush with soft bristles designed for dentures. The soft bristles can protect your dentures from scuffs and scratches. Although brushing is important, it does not clean dentures by itself. Cleaning dentures thoroughly every night is vital to keeping them in good condition.

How To Clean Dentures

Step 1. Before removing your dentures, place a soft, folded towel on the counter. The softness provides a cushion to protect your dentures if you drop them accidentally.

Step 2. Rinse your dentures with warm water after removing them from your mouth.

Step 3. Brush your dentures gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush to loosen and remove bacteria, food particles, and plaque. Make sure to clean all areas of the denture. Warm water and a mild soap or denture cleaner are both effective. Brushing will also loosen and remove denture adhesive. Make sure to rinse the dentures with warm water afterward.

Step 4. You should soak your dentures overnight in lukewarm water or denture solution. Do not let them dry out. Dryness causes dentures to lose their shape and become brittle. Make sure you rinse your dentures every morning before you wear them.

If you have partial dentures, don’t forget to brush and floss your remaining teeth daily. Also, rinsing your mouth with mouthwash helps to promote oral health. You can remove dentures before using mouthwash, or you can use a denture-specific mouthwash.

When to Call Your Dentist

Maintaining your oral health requires regular dental visits. Visiting your dentist twice a year if you wear dentures is a good idea.

Contact your dentist if your dentures:

• Feel uncomfortable
• No longer fit properly
• Make noise when you talk or eat
• Appear visibly worn

You should also contact your dentist if you develop:

• Sores
• Bleeding gums
• Bad breath

Thanksgiving is about spending time with loved ones and the spirit of giving. To ensure you can fully soak up the moment (while also enjoying all the delectable treats!), make sure to stick to denture-friendly foods this year.

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