We all want to have beautiful smiles. Bright, white, gapless beams are often considered to be the ideal smile, but missing teeth can make this seem impossible to achieve. Fortunately, there are a range of ways to replace missing teeth, including dentures. If you’re missing all of your teeth, a full set of dentures will likely be the best choice for you. Even so, they can take some time to get used to, and some people may struggle to speak with them at first. Read on to learn some useful tips for talking with dentures.
Tip #1: Use Denture Adhesive
When you first start wearing dentures, you can expect to produce more saliva than usual until your mouth gets used to them. Once you are no longer producing excess saliva, you can provide your dentures with extra hold by putting a special adhesive on them. This will help keep them in place while you speak and make them fit your mouth better. There are several kinds of denture adhesive, including creams, powders, and strips.
Tip #2: Bite and Swallow
Biting down on your restorations and swallowing before you begin talking with dentures will help minimize speech issues. This is because it will set them in the correct position, therefore preventing them from shifting while you speak. If your trouble speaking with your restorations continues, talk to your dentist. They will either adjust them or have them replaced with a properly fitted set.
Tip #3: Speak Slower
Many people will default to speaking at their normal pace when they start wearing dentures, but you might need to make some adjustments. Dentures may click together as a result of your teeth coming together harder than intended when you talk. Slowing down when you speak will allow you to tell how much force you are applying as well as how much space you have between your teeth.
Tip #4: Speak Out Loud
Trying to speak out loud to help you get used to talking with dentures. Doing this at varying volumeswill make it easier for you to learn the correct way to speak and will help you re-master words and sounds that you’ve had trouble making since getting your restorations, such as “F” and “S” sounds. Speaking slowly and patiently may also help you feel more relaxed.
Tip #5: Speak at a Normal Volume
When you first start talking with dentures, you may think that you sound louder than usual. This is because dentures change the anatomy of your mouth, which affects the way that sound travels from it. Fortunately, this will be more noticeable to you than to others. You will also begin to sound more natural with time and practice.
Talking with dentures is quite different from doing so with your natural teeth. With the above tips, you should be able to get used to it and start speaking with ease in no time!
About the Practice
Dr. Mark E. Lawton is a Houston-based dentist who really loves what he does. He treats patients with a wide range of exceptional treatments so they can maintain healthy smiles. He also offers dentures and other tooth replacement options for people who are missing teeth so they can once again enjoy full, beautiful smiles. To learn more about talking with dentures or to make an appointment with Dr. Lawton, visit his website or call his office at (281) 447-2186.