Your Southern Ontario Invisalign® Provider
Like with any orthodontic treatment, there is an adjustment period with Invisalign during which patients will encounter certain difficulties as they become used to wearing their aligners. Here, our Village Orthodontics - Niagara Falls dentists provide some pointers on how to get acclimated to speaking with Invisalign Clear Aligners.
Almost any dental or orthodontic device has the potential to have an impact on your ability to communicate verbally. Orthodontic appliances that add extra thickness to the roof of your mouth or the backs of your front teeth are likely to create mild speech difficulties, and Invisalign aligners are a good example of such appliances.
Is Invisalign going to cause difficulty speaking?
Because Invisalign aligners are made of thin, transparent plastic, any effect they might have on your speech should be minimal. However, some people may find it difficult to communicate.
When you first put your Invisalign aligners on for treatment, you may notice a minor lisp in your speech, especially when making "s" or "sh" sounds. This is to be expected during the course of treatment.
Fortunately, this minor lisp will most likely only be noticeable to you and not to anyone else with whom you are conversing, and it should fade over time as you become more comfortable with your aligners.
Are there ways to help reduce difficulty speaking?
If your Invisalign Clear Aligners are causing you trouble speaking, try following some of these tips:
Practice
In a private setting, practice speaking with proper pronunciation. Make an effort to over-enunciate and focus on the letters that you find the most difficult, such as S's, T's, D's, and C's.
Read Aloud
Try reading aloud to yourself or to a loved one to see if it helps. Passages that you find particularly difficult should be repeated.
Record Yourself
It's a good idea to record your practice sessions with a portable recorder or your phone. This will assist you in identifying the sounds, words, and phrases with which you are having the most difficulty communicating.
Speak Slowly
Spend time thinking about what you're going to say and speak at a calm, relaxed pace.
Stand Up Straight
Proper airflow through the larynx (voice box) is made possible by good posture, which makes speaking easier.
Takeaways
The above suggestions can help you go back to your typical speaking ability in no time.
If your Invisalign aligners cause you to speak with a little lisp or speech impairment, try to remember that practice makes perfect. Or at least, practise makes better.
Continuously practicing the pronunciation and enunciation of the words with which you are having difficulty is the quickest and most straightforward method of overcoming any difficulties. Practicing difficult words will help you get used to your new clear aligners. You can also read aloud to yourself (or to others) while wearing your aligners, or have conversations with family and friends who you can trust to help you get used to them.