If you’re looking into Invisalign, you may already know some ways it’d change your daily life. That’s only natural – many patients report that their trays alter their eating and oral hygiene habits. However, perhaps you have one lingering question: Will Invisalign affect how you speak? That matter isn’t often discussed, so your Tucson dentist is here to address it. Just keep reading to learn how Invisalign affects speech (if at all) and some tips on talking with your trays.
Would Invisalign Affect Your Speech?
Invisalign can affect how a person speaks sometimes. Still, whether it has such an impact on you will depend on your situation.
The truth is that speech changes can occur with any oral appliance. Since retainers, braces, and other mouthpieces change the available space in your mouth, they impact how your tongue moves. That effect can then result in minor alterations to your everyday speech.
Of course, such changes don’t occur for every Invisalign patient. The only way to know if they’ll “happen” to you is to undergo treatment.
What Speech Issues Can Invisalign Cause?
In general, Invisalign is known to cause two possible speech issues. These are:
A Slight Lisp
When you first get Invisalign, you may pronounce “s” and “z” sounds the same way as the “th” sound. This lisp can occur when airflow in your mouth is altered by improper placement of the tongue. Since aligner trays change the way your tongue moves, that kind of effect is only natural.
Change in Speech Style
Some patients speak more slowly and slur words once they get Invisalign trays. After all, treatment can make one’s mouth feel different and alter ingrained speaking habits. A patient’s tongue won’t be used to the aligners’ presence at first and will have to adapt accordingly.
Tips on Talking with Invisalign
Speech issues caused by Invisalign fade on their own, but you can always speed up that process. Just use the following tips:
- Read Aloud – As it happens, reading aloud to yourself is a great way to practice with Invisalign aligners.
- Record Yourself – Try recording yourself during your practice speech sessions. By doing so, you’ll identify the sounds, words, and phrases that you find hard to pronounce.
- Don’t Rush – You shouldn’t rush through your practice sessions by speaking quickly. Instead, use a slow and relaxed pace to pronounce words.
- Keep Practicing – Ultimately, the best method for overcoming Invisalign speech problems is continued practice. As you put in more effort, you’ll naturally correct your pronunciation.
If you don’t want Invisalign to affect how you speak, use the tricks above. They’ll ensure you have clear speech as your smile gets straightened.
About the Author
Dr. Jay Lopez is a dentist based in Tucson, AZ, having earned his DDS from the University of Colorado Health Science Center School of Dentistry. He’s well-versed in preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative dentistry, thanks to his nearly thirty years in the field, and remains committed to every patient. You can trust him to help your smile thrive for a lifetime! Today, Dr. Lopez practices at his self-titled clinic and is reachable on his website and by phone at (520)-886-8090.