If you are considering Invisalign for your orthodontic treatment, you may wonder what impact the aligners might have on your ability to speak. Here, our Surrey dentists offer their top tips for getting used to speaking with your Invisalign aligners in your mouth.
Almost any dental or orthodontic appliance has the potential to affect your speech, particularly those that add any extra thickness to the roof of your mouth, or to back of your front teeth, which is where Invisalign aligners sit.
Is Invisalign likely to cause speech impediments?
Not very. Invisalign aligners are made from thin plastic, making any impact they may have on your speech relatively minor.
That said, when you first have your Invisalign brace system placed for treatment, you may notice a slight lisp to your speech. The lisp will probably be most obvious when you make “s” or “sh” sounds.
This is will likely only be noticeable to you, and not to anyone else.
Overall, you probably don’t need to worry. Studies have shown that 93% of Invisalign patients reported no difficulties with speech while wearing their aligners.
What are some tips to reduce a speech impediment, if I have one, while wearing Invisalign?
If you notice that your Invisalign aligners cause you to speak with a slight lisp or speech impediment, just remember: practice makes perfect.
Practicing the pronunciation and enunciation of the words you are struggling with is one of the best ways to overcome the problem, and get used to your new dental appliance. Try reading out loud to yourself (or to others), or having conversations with friends or family members that you trust.