Enjoying delicious cuisine and new flavors is one of the many joys that life has to offer. If you consider yourself a foody, or you at least have a few favorite dishes that you like to eat, you may be concerned about how getting dentures will affect how your food tastes. Continue reading to learn more about the different ways that dentures can affect the taste of food and what you can do to reduce this.
How Do Dentures Affect Taste?
A denture that covers the roof of your mouth is more likely to affect your sense of taste because the palate plays a role in both tasting and smelling, but not everyone is significantly affected by this. Patients are more likely to experience negative tastes if they aren’t cleaning their dentures regularly. When dentures aren’t cleaned, residue builds up, causing a foul taste that can interfere with the way you experience certain flavors. This is more of an issue with cheap dentures that are made from low-quality materials that become dirty more easily.
How Does Age Affect Taste?
As you get older, you slowly lose your sense of taste. This is especially noticeable after the age of sixty. You are born with about 10,000 tastebuds, but this gradually decreases. In fact, your sense of taste can be cut in half with certain flavors while others aren’t affected at all. That’s why many older adults tend to enjoy foods that contain more salt and sugar. If you’ve experienced a loss of smell, this can also negatively impact your taste.
Can Taste Affect Nutrition?
When food doesn’t taste so good anymore, this can lead to a loss of interest in cooking, higher consumption of sugary and high-sodium foods, and a higher calorie intake. In the end, this can negatively impact the entire body. Poor nutrition contributes to diabetes and poor cardiovascular health. Negative changes in eating habits can also increase your risk of many other chronic diseases due to malnutrition.
How to Prevent Foul Tastes with Dentures
Dentures don’t need to take away all of the joy you have for eating for favorite meals. You can significantly reduce the impact that dentures have on your taste by doing the following:
- Clean your dentures after every meal
- Minimize your usage of denture adhesive
- If your dentures aren’t fitting properly, schedule a visit with your dentist to have them fixed
- Consider implant dentures – they don’t cover the palate
By investing in quality dentures and taking excellent care of them, you can continue to enjoy all of the delicious cuisine in your life!
About the Practice
At Newpark Mall Family Dental Group, our team consists of a general dentist, pediatric dentist, and periodontist working together to serve patients in the Newark community. With their combined experience and expertise, patients of all ages can get all the care they need under one roof. To learn more about dentures or to schedule an appointment, visit our website or call (510) 796-8888.