Re-learning How to Speak with a Dental Appliance

Whether you have a retainer or denture, introducing a foreign object to your mouth will pose some challenges. You may find it difficult and frustrating to say certain words while wearing your removable dental appliance and that is okay and frankly, expected.  Since your appliance may change the thickness of your natural palate or length of your natural teeth, it will take time for your tongue and muscles to re-adjust. Additionally, you may find yourself producing more saliva than normal, causing things to get slippery when speaking.  

Fortunately, we’ve gathered some tips to get you to speak effortlessly in no time: 

1. Slow down  
   Be patient with yourself and don’t be afraid to slow down while speaking. Slowing things down allows your mouth the time to re-learn and discover new tongue placements with a dental appliance inserted. 

2. Practice swallowing 
   Your new dental appliance may be stimulating your salivary glands, causing an increase in blood flow and hyper-salivation. To help you manage excessive salivation, practice swallowing more often. Try eating candy or mint every so often to help you practice swallowing naturally.  

3. Bite down before speaking  
   Bitting down before speaking helps your dental appliance fit into place and lessens the probability of a slip up.  

4. Exaggerate words
   Exaggerate words that you find difficult in order gain more control while speaking. This type of practice will not only stretch your jaw muscles but get you thinking deliberately about what your mouth is doing. 

5. Count from 20 to 90 and 90 to 20 
   Count this number set back and forth whenever you have free time. This number set addresses a lot of the sounds people have trouble making while wearing a dental appliance. 
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz_2lIaDZGk  

6. Sing
   Singing is an effortless activity where you’re less likely to think about how you sound and more likely to sing your heart out. Unapologetically singing your favorite song will help you talk fluidly and naturally. 

7. Read out loud  
   Reading out loud helps you build confidence and exposes you to words that you don’t normally use on a day-to-day basis.  

8. Practice in the mirror  
   While practicing in the mirror you can actually see what your lips and mouth are doing when you have trouble with certain words.