If you’re new to wearing dentures you might find that speaking isn’t quite as easy with a dental appliance in your mouth. Here, our Surrey dentists offer a few tips on how to get better at talking with your dentures in.
Talking can feel pretty awkward at first, until you become accustomed to your dentures, regardless of whether your dentures are removable or permanent.
You may experience changes, or difficulties, in your speech at the outset, even if you wear the best dentures available. Many people have difficulty pronouncing S’s and F’s, or find that their dentures make clicking noises or shift while they talking.
The good news is that with a little practice, you’ll get used to your dentures quickly, and you’ll eventually go back to feeling perfectly comfortable when talking.
Here are a few useful tips to help make things go more smoothly:
The anatomy of your oral cavity is altered when you wear dentures, which can have the effect of increasing or altering the sound of your voice. When you spoke before you had dentures, vibrations travelled through the bones of your jaw and skull, and now with the dentures in place, that’s bound to sound a bit different. Try to keep in mind that the difference is considerably more noticeable to you than to anyone listening to you speak.
Try speaking more slowly if you can hear clicking sounds when you talk. By speaking more slowly you will prevent additional movements that lift or shift your lower denture. Keeping the lower denture stable requires help from the muscles in your lips, tongue, and cheeks, and this takes a bit of practice to master.
To help keep your dentures in their proper position, before you begin to talk, bite down gently and swallow.
If your dentures frequently slip out of place, you can ask your dentist to recommend a denture adhesive.
The best way to get over any problems with new dentures is to practice, practice, practice. Speak out loud when you're alone and read out loud to loved ones. Be sure to repeat words that you have particular trouble pronouncing. It's even good practice to talk to your pets.
Daily speech practice will help you talk to others with confidence.