As a child, we can’t wait to lose our teeth so they can go beneath the pillow to exchange with the Tooth Fairy for a shiny coin (probably paper at this stage – aging myself considerably; bad analogy.) The idea, anyway, is that when we get older, we hold onto our teeth with a death grip.

Sadly, mishaps occur whether there’s an injury or an accident, or perhaps there’s an advanced oral health issue that you’re unable to get under control, any of which can lead to tooth loss.

If the loss is significant, dentures will likely be the suggested alternative for replacing the missing teeth, a durable, flexible, and convenient fix that can be long-lasting if cared for adequately.

Many people hesitate when it comes to the idea of wearing dentures with a concern not only about how they might make them look but largely how the appliance will make them sound.

That is not a misnomer; the prosthetic does, in fact, create a speech change for patients for the first several weeks while adjusting with some syllables being a challenge to pronounce and a slight voice variation.

In saying that, there are some things you can do to make the process somewhat more manageable and a bit faster. Let’s check out a few of these tips meant to help with the adjustment to speaking with dentures.

Do New Dentures Make It Too Tough to Speak Plainly

It would make sense when you put something foreign in your mouth that it would take some time to learn to speak properly again, and that’s true of dentures. The indication is that it’s particularly challenging with consonants like S, F, and T.

Plus, you will find that you’re producing more saliva with the appliance in place than previously, and aside from all that, it’s simply an odd sensation having this bit of plastic in there. Find out how to care for these dentures and your mouth at https://www.inspiro.org.au/blog/looking-after-clean-your-dentures/.

The idea with adjusting is to be as patient with yourself as you can, allowing the oral muscles the opportunity to adjust to the changes. You can try to get used to them a bit faster by practicing each day speaking aloud either alone or in front of others with whom you feel most comfortable, perhaps even on the job.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly the muscles will acclimate, and speaking will grow to be second nature. Check out a few tips and exercises to help develop the mouth muscles for speaking while wearing your dentures.

● Work on tongue twisters

As a new denture wearer, the most difficult accomplishment in learning to speak are consonants. For humans as a whole, a challenge is to achieve a tongue twister and to be able to say these a few times quickly. When combining tongue twisters that carry many consonants for denture wearers to practice a few times a day, it makes for the ideal speaking exercise. Some of the recommended twisters include (quote)

“Sister Sue sews shirts, shorts, and shoulder straps for shoulders.”

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”

“Tiny tot Tad tasted very little treats.” (end quote)

The idea is not for the denture wearer to repeat these rapidly a few times in succession but to read these slowly several times throughout the day as a mere practice to help with the speaking process.

● Read passages to yourself

When you stand in front of a mirror witnessing yourself saying words, you’ll recognize where you’re struggling with syllables or sounds. Whether you choose randomly to talk or read passages from a book, even sing along with the radio or your mobile, watch your mouth move while engaging.

● Turn the sound down

According to qualified professionals, like you’ll find within Fort Worth dental implants, dentures will alter the mouth’s anatomy; thus, the sound will travel through differently. That means your volume can be higher than usual with new dentures in place.

You might not recognize the loudness unless it’s pointed out by someone close to you, which can leave you feeling embarrassed in public or in the workplace. The best way to avoid these occurrences is to be intentional about speaking on a lower level. In time, it will grow to be a habit as time passes.

● Read from the classics

It might be a good idea to start a book club if you’re not already part of one with people who are intimate friends. Each time you meet, make a point to read excerpts from books to get each person’s feedback on how well you’re progressing with your speech.

While you can watch yourself in the mirror, it’s challenging to identify your own faults and flaws, but others can be impartial, noticing things you might not see.

The suggestion is roughly 30 days to be relatively adjusted to the dentures for speaking, basic eating, and smiling. At the end of the 30 days, see how far your friends believe you’ve come and how much improvement they might feel you still need to make.

At that stage, it might be helpful to reach out to a speech therapist. Click to learn the pros and cons of new dentures and what you should expect with the prosthetic.

Final Thought

Some patients who find the dentures a bit of a challenge to adjust to when trying to learn to speak might reach out to a speech therapist to practice the different techniques.

The exercises with an expert help the patient learn new methods for talking apart from what they were used to with their natural teeth, breaking away from the old in favor of the unknown.

While it might seem like an uphill battle at first, once the muscles in the mouth begin to acclimate, it’s downhill from there. It’s really, as with anything, a matter of time, patience, and practice.

Regular practice on your own in front of a mirror, as a group with a few intimate friends, or perhaps reaching out to a therapist, if that’s your preference, will ultimately make you more comfortable and bring your speech to a level of clarity.

You might feel adjusting to the prosthetic is impossible when you initially place them, but nothing is impossible.