Many of our patients at Greater Vancouver Orthodontics find that they have trouble talking when they first get their braces. The following tips will help you get accustomed to talking while wearing braces!
You shouldn't feel embarrassed if you have a hard time speaking when you first get your braces. It's actually an extremely common problem, so don't worry: with some patience, and by following some of these steps, you’ll be talking like you normally do before you know it.
1. Remember: this is temporary!
Your arch wires, brackets, or invisible aligners will feel a bit strange at first, and will make it difficult for your tongue and facial muscles to move the way they're supposed to when you speak. Remember that this is temporary, and your oral structures will adjust to these new feelings soon enough.
2. Learn about speech functions
Learning about the ways your whole body contributes to your ability to speak is very eye-opening. And, it will also give you the tools and information you need to get back to talking normally, faster.
3. Use Dental Wax
Many of our patients have noticed that applying dental wax on their brackets allows them to speak more comfortably, since it provides a smoother surface, and more glide.
4. Consider self-ligating or lingual braces
Patients who choose these lower profile types of braces tend to have a little less trouble talking at the start of treatment.
5. Practice makes perfect!
Practice makes perfect! Some good ways to practice speaking include:
- singing
- speaking or reading aloud
- speech drills
You might also want to try recording yourself speaking, and then listening to the recording to catch your trouble areas. If you’re having an especially hard time, practice speaking slowly and really enunciate each and every word.