Losing adult teeth can potentially detract from your daily quality of life in a few different ways. For instance, you might struggle with the unexpected changes to your appearance, struggle to bite and chew healthy foods, or develop altered speaking patterns.
Regardless of how many pearly whites went missing, your dentist can restore your smile’s appearance and functionality with lifelike dentures. But many patients worry that their new teeth might also result in changes to their enunciation that could impact their ability to communicate. If you’re scared you won’t be able to talk with dentures, read on to learn more!
Will Wearing Dentures Impact My Speech Patterns?
Your restoration is carefully customized at each step of its design and creation so that the final product looks and feels lifelike. For instance, they’re made using your unique measurements, so they fit like a glove and form a tight enough bond with your connective tissues to remain firmly in place.
However, it often takes patients about a month for their tongue and the other supporting muscles and tissues in their mouths to acclimate to wearing dentures all day. Many people develop a lisp or slur during this time, particularly with the sounds of “sh”, “v”, “f”, “th”, or “sh”. You might also notice a slight clicking sound when you first start wearing them, as your tongue may try to ‘kick them out’ until it adjusts.
Thankfully, these effects are usually temporary, and many notice that their speech impediments naturally fade after a few days or weeks.
How Can I Overcome Changes to My Enunciation with Dentures?
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can speed up this transitional period and relearn how to clearly pronounce different sounds while wearing your restoration, such as:
- Practice at home. Are you worried that you might be judged for changes to your speaking patterns when your dentures are new? You can boost your confidence by taking the time to read out loud to yourself at home where you don’t have to worry about being judged for errors.
- Record yourself talking. You can also record yourself when reading out loud to help you identify challenging words so you can rehearse them until you feel more confident in your enunciation.
- Count carefully. Many patients have found it helpful to practice counting from 60 to 90 repeatedly because it helps them practice more difficult-to-pronounce sounds.
- Use an adhesive. It can be challenging to learn how to press your tongue against your restoration to speak clearly if you’re concerned about it falling out. Using an adhesive, such as a denture cream, helps them form a firmer bond against your gums to keep them in place.
If you continue to experience a lisp, slur, or clicking while wearing your dentures, you should contact your dentist so they can ensure your new teeth are functioning as intended!
About the Practice
Patients at Rausch Family Dentistry benefit from a team of providers eager to help them build and maintain their happiest, healthiest smiles. They share decades of combined experience and collaborate to offer a comprehensive menu of services to meet all your needs under one roof, including lifelike dentures. Their caring approach pairs with advanced technology to deliver comfortable, accurate results meant to last. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling (770) 931-3388.