Holiday meals run long and often happen away from home. These steps keep your dentures, gums and natural teeth comfortable all season.
Key takeaways
- Book a fit check early. A denture that rocks, clicks or rubs can be adjusted before the busy weeks.
- Cut food small and chew on both sides. Even pressure keeps the denture steady on your gums.
- Clean after the big meals. Rinse after eating and brush your dentures every day with a denture cleanser.
- Never repair a denture yourself. Glue and home kits can damage it and change the fit.
Why get your dentures checked before the holidays?
A check before the season gives your dental team time to adjust a denture that has started to feel loose or sore. The gums and bone under a denture change shape over time, so a denture that fit well last year can rock or rub today.
Book a check if you notice any of these signs:
- The denture moves when you chew or talk
- Food keeps getting trapped underneath it
- You hear it click when you speak
- Your gums have sore spots
- It is cracked, chipped or worn down
Your dentist checks the fit, your bite and your gums. The answer can be an adjustment, a reline, a repair or a new denture. A regular dental exam checks your dentures too.
Which holiday foods are easiest to eat with dentures?
Soft, moist and tender foods are the easiest, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, cooked vegetables, slow-cooked meat and soft desserts. Hard, sticky and tough foods are the ones that loosen a denture or rub sore spots.
| Holiday food | Why it is hard with dentures | Easier choice |
|---|---|---|
| Nuts and peanut brittle | Hard pieces stress the denture and slip underneath | Chocolate or fudge with no nuts |
| Toffee, caramels and candy canes | Sticky or hard sweets pull the denture loose | Soft cake, pudding or pumpkin pie |
| Well-done roast or jerky | Long chewing rubs your gums | Slow-cooked meat in small pieces |
| Corn on the cob | Biting in with the front teeth tips the denture | Corn cut off the cob |
Our post on holiday foods and your teeth covers what sugar does to natural teeth.
How do you eat comfortably at a holiday meal?
Cut food into small pieces and chew slowly with food on both sides of your mouth at once. Even pressure on both sides keeps the denture seated on your gums.
- Let your back teeth do the work. Biting into food with the front teeth tips a denture and can lift it.
- Use adhesive as directed. Adhesive adds grip for a long meal, but a denture that keeps slipping needs a fit check.
New dentures take practice, so try soft food at home before the big dinner. Call the clinic about sore spots or looseness.
How do you keep dentures clean during the holiday rush?
Rinse your dentures after each meal and clean them every day with a soft brush and a denture cleanser. Rich food and sweets leave more film behind on busy days.
- Rinse after eating. Take the denture out and run it under water to clear food.
- Brush with a denture cleanser. Regular toothpaste can scratch the acrylic.
- Work over a towel or a sink of water. A dropped denture can crack on a hard surface.
- Skip hot water and household cleaners. Hot water can warp the denture, and household products damage it.
- Brush your gums, tongue and natural teeth. Use a separate soft toothbrush for your own teeth.
- Take it out at night. Store it the way your dentist told you, in water or a soaking solution so it does not dry out.
With a partial denture, your natural teeth still need a regular dental cleaning. Daily brushing of your gums is part of gum health care too.
What should you pack for holiday travel?
A small kit keeps your routine going at a relative's house or a hotel.
- A hard denture case
- A soft denture brush and a soft toothbrush for your gums
- Your denture cleanser or soaking tablets
- Adhesive, if you use it
What if your denture breaks or hurts over the holidays?
Keep every piece, do not glue it and call the clinic for the soonest appointment. If a piece might have been swallowed or breathed in, or you are coughing or short of breath, call 911 or head straight to a hospital emergency department. Household glue and home repair kits can damage the denture and change how it fits.
A sore spot can come from a crumb trapped under the denture or from an edge that rubs. Take the denture out, rinse it and your mouth and give your gums a rest. Do not keep wearing a denture that hurts, because a sore spot needs a check and an adjustment.
Grimsby Lake Dental in Grimsby closes at 2 pm on Saturdays and all day Sunday, so call early if a denture starts to feel wrong. For severe pain while the clinic is closed, use an emergency dental service or a hospital emergency department. Ask about CDCP at the same time if you have the plan, because some denture repairs and relines are listed services.
Severe pain or swelling: call us at (905) 309-5757. Trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading toward the eye or neck, or a fever with facial swelling: call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Our emergency page explains what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sleep in my dentures during the holidays?
Take them out at night unless your dentist has told you otherwise. The break lets your gums rest, and the denture stays moist in water or a soaking solution.
Can denture adhesive fix a loose denture?
No. Adhesive adds grip for a meal, but it does not correct the fit. A denture that keeps slipping needs a check for an adjustment or a reline.
Does CDCP cover denture repairs?
For eligible patients, the CDCP lists denture repairs once per arch each year and relines once per arch every 2 years. CDCP will not cover a new denture within 24 months of a reline. Eligibility rules, co-payments and plan limits apply, you can pay fees above the plan rate, and the team can help review estimated costs before treatment.