I have a friend and I’d like to give her a gift of assorted nuts. I found a place online where I can customize the order to mixed nuts and include the ones I want.
She tells me she loves nuts. But I know she has a full set of upper dentures. She has her own lower teeth.
So I thought I’d ask denture wearers. Is it possible to buy her nuts? I know certain kinds of nuts, like pecans are soft or softer but any other nuts that you can chew well with uppers.
I’m sorry if this is a stupid question, but I didn’t want to ask her, “Can you chew nuts”? Or is this just a bad idea all together.
I can buy her little assorted “nut butters” which may be better. She’s never mentioned any eating problems to me and I’ve even seen her eat steak. So I just thought I’d ask denture wearers what they think?
It’s too hard to guess without asking her. Some people with dentures can manage nuts, and some can’t. It depends on the fit of the dentures - sometimes a person can chew them, but the little sharp pokey bits get under the plate and hurt. It depends on the quality of the dentures - a well made set should be able to withstand the force needed to chew a nut, but cheap or old ones can crack under pressure. It also depends on what’s left on the lower jaw - you say she has her own teeth on the bottom, but you probably don’t know how many she has, especially in back, and gaps in the molars can make nuts unpleasant to chew.
I think nut butters, though, is a fantastic idea! That way, if she can’t eat nuts but misses them, she can enjoy them. And if she can eat nuts, well, who doesn’t love a good nut butter anyhow?
Between your comment about poor people whistling easier due to a lack of teeth and this gem I’m beginning to think you’ve got some prejudice against those with dental problems.
If she says she loves nuts, she’s never mentioned any eating problems (though why she’d discuss that with you I don’t know), and you’ve seen her tackle steak just give her a gift of nuts. If she can eat them, fine. If not, she should appreciate the fact you cared enough to notice her like and she can either grind them up for baking/cooking herself, or even re-gift them.
You’d be surprised - most people I’ve known in life have no clue what to “do” with a nut butter and look on them with suspicion. I’ve been the receipt of a dozen or so jars over the years given to me by people who just didn’t know what to do with them, despite being nutlovers.
Like I said - give her nuts. Let her cope with them.
My mother had all of six teeth left the last decades of her life yet managed to crunch down on peanuts almost daily and didn’t seem to have a problem with mixed nuts. Well, OK, yes, the occasional bit got under the dentures but that’s a risk for a lot of foods. She’d excuse herself, go fix the problem, then come back and finish. Good for her.