As one of your five primary senses, your sense of taste plays a very important role in your quality of life; simply put, it allows you to enjoy all of your favorite foods! But when you aren’t able to taste the things that you eat, life can quickly become dull—and unfortunately, a diminished sense of taste is something that occurs naturally as time passes. But there are other things that can worsen this reduction too, including dental restorations like dentures. Keep reading to learn more about how wearing dentures can actually inhibit your sense of taste, along with some tips for minimizing their impact.
How Dentures Can Affect Your Sense of Taste
You’ve probably noticed that as you’ve gotten older, your preferences for certain foods have likely changed quite a bit. This is perfectly normal; as you age, your taste buds naturally change and diminish in strength; but wearing dentures actually makes matters much worse. A denture that covers the upper palate is likely to result in reduction or total loss of taste, due to the role the palate plays in taste (and smell).
Additionally, if your dentures aren’t kept sufficiently clean, residual deposits of food particles can build up on their surface and leave behind a bad taste in your mouth—while also interfering with how you taste foods. Patients with cheaper dentures experience this more often; the low-quality materials used in these lesser options is much more porous, meaning that it can pick up more odors and taste. Patients who use too much denture cream to secure their dentures might also have an impacted sense of taste.
It might not seem like a huge deal, but your sense of taste directly influences what you eat! If you can’t taste all of your favorite meals, you might lose interest in cooking or eating. You might also begin avoiding certain foods with bitter tastes that are healthy and contain important vitamins and nutrients. These changes in eating habits can put you at risk for all sorts of chronic health problems including malnutrition.
Tips for Minimizing the Impact of Your Dentures
Luckily, there are many things you can do to reduce the negative impact that your dentures have on your sense of taste. Consider the following tips:
- Clean your dentures often – If you keep your dentures clean, they’re less likely to become stained, dirty, or smelly.
- Make sure your dentures fit correctly– There are many consequences of wearing ill-fitting dentures, and diminished taste is just one of them. If your dentures keep slipping and sliding around your mouth, you should visit your dentist.
- Consider dental implants – Dental implants or implant-supported dentures are two viable options that can effectively replace your missing teeth while offering more benefits than dentures, including no influence on your sense of taste.
If you’re concerned about how your dentures might be influencing your sense of taste, don’t hesitate to speak with your dentist; a little maintenance or an upgrade to dental implants might be exactly what you need to get back to tasting all your favorite foods.
About the Practice
Evans Street Dental proudly serves patients and families in the McMinnville, OR community under the leadership of Dr. Natalya Ramsay. Dr. Ramsay received her dental doctorate from the Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry and is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. Her practice is pleased to offer many available services including dentures. If you have any questions about dentures or would like to schedule a visit, feel free to reach out online or by phone: (503) 472-1402.