Many of our patients at Langley Orthodontics have a hard time talking with their new braces. The following tips will help you grow accustomed to talking while wearing braces!
There's nothing to be embarrassed about if you have a hard time speaking when you first get your braces. It's a very common problem, so don't worry: with some patience and practice, and by following some of these steps, you’ll be talking as well as usual before you know it.
1. Remember: this is temporary!
Your arch wires, brackets, or invisible aligners will feel a bit weird at first, and will make moving your tongue and facial muscles the usual way when you speak a bit awkward. But just remember: this is temporary, and your oral structures will adjust to these new feelings soon enough.
2. Learn about speech functions
Learning that to some extent, your entire 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
Applying dental wax on your brackets will allow you to speak more comfortably, since it provides a smoother surface, and more glide.
4. Consider self-ligating braces
Patients who choose these less bulky 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
- speech drills
- speaking or reading aloud
You could also want to try recording yourself speaking, so that you can listen to the recording and catch your trouble areas. If you’re a really difficult time, practice speaking slowly and really enunciate each and every word.