Tips & Tricks for Talking with Dentures

Due to advancements over the years, today’s dentures can look very seamless and lifelike. They can even be hard to distinguish from natural teeth at times! Still, that doesn’t mean dentures don’t come with a few challenges. For instance, they often require you to re-learn how to speak. As such, those getting this restoration for themselves may need some help. To that end, here’s a summary of tips and tricks for talking with dentures by Norton Shores dentists.

How Do Dentures Change My Speech?

As you first start wearing them, your dentures may feel uncomfortable and awkward. As a result, you may experience temporary speech impediments during your adjustment period.

Some of these could include the following:

• Lisping
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty pronouncing  “s,” “f,” and “ph” sounds.
• Your dentures “clicking” when you try to speak.

Tips for Denture-Related Speech Impediments

Fortunately, these impediments don’t last long; they’ll fade within 15-30 days of receiving your dentures. If you want to speed up the process, though, here are three tips:

Repeat Challenging Words

Some words may be difficult to pronounce when you start talking with dentures. (Consider the issue with “s,” “f,” and “ph” sounds referenced above.) To overcome that obstacle, repeat and elongate commonly used words to yourself. Doing so will re-train your mouth to enunciate while dentures are in your mouth.

Read Aloud to Yourself

Once you’ve made some progress with pronunciation, you can start re-learning to speak while wearing dentures. Try reading a daily newspaper or book aloud to yourself for this task. Not only will this help you get used to what your voice sounds like with the prosthetic, but it will also help you build your confidence.

As an added suggestion, look in a mirror as you read aloud. That way, you can see your speech pattern seems no different from how it did before your dentures were fitted.

Talk with Family & Friends

The best thing for improving speech, though, is to talk with friends and family.

For one thing, this will give you real-world experience in talking to others while using your new dentures. Your audience will also be non-judgmental, which can boost your confidence and reduce social anxiety.

Perhaps more importantly, people you trust can give you constructive feedback. As you adjust to your dentures, they can name problem words you may need to practice more.

Talk to your local dentist to learn more about denture-related speech impediments and exercises. They can offer further advice and recommend more aids to make your talk as good as your new smile.

About the Practice

Laketown Family Dental is based in Norton Shores, Michigan, and is headed by Drs. Eric and Ariel Heisser. Their team uses the latest techniques and technology to provide personalized dentistry for each patient. As such, they offer high-quality preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatments, not to mention emergency smile care. For more information or to book an appointment, they can be reached at their website or by phone at (231)-737-2273.