Hi
My 10 month old son has NO teeth and this was what he ate today. ( None of my kids got teeth until 14-15 months...)
Breakfast: 1 waffle lightly toasted, covered with 1/2 jar of baby peaches ( instead of syrup, more nutritious) cut into pieces the size of the waffle squares, a big handful of cheerios and a cup of formula.
Snack: goldfish crackers
Lunch: 3 gerber turkey sticks, 2 tablespoons of frozen peas cooked until soft, mandarin oranges ( fruit cups), 2oz white grape juice diluted with 4oz H2O.
Snack: I think he slept through his snack...
Dinner: formula, spaghetti (God he loved it!), apple sauce, cheez it's and 1/3 of a banana cut into sliced and quartered.
Bed: cup of formula
That was today, he basically eats what we all eat, minus peanutbutter, strawberries, eggs and honey. He has eaten very softly cooked chicken breast pieces but wasn't thrilled. The quantity this kid eats is ridiculous so don't expect that much food to go into your man.
My point is, they can and DO use those gums to smash, chew, mash their food. As long as it isn't really tough to chew he can probably handle it. For your own peace of mind start with the gerber puffs, soft pasta, soft carrots, banana chunks, things like that. He's a little old starting solids so don't be shocked if he has a bit of trouble figuring it out. I like the gerber meals too, I'm a bit lazy at time and it is a simple fix.
Good luck to you.