If you are a senior considering dental implants, you may have to worry about issues other dental patients don't have to think about. For example, you may need more time to recover after receiving your implants. My name is Jodi, and I've been working with seniors for years. I decided to create this blog to help the seniors I can't meet in person. In this space, I'm going to post entries on everything related to dental implants and seniors. From tips on flossing implants after arthritis has claimed some of your dexterity, to guiding you through the implants-vs-dentures debate, this blog is designed for you. Thanks for reading. I hope you find what you need!
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If you have recently had a new set of dentures fitted, you may encounter problems with some aspects of speech. This is because dentures change the contours and shape of your mouth. These changes can restrict the natural movement of your tongue and teeth as you attempt to enunciate words. While these problems can be frustrating, as you adapt to your dentures the problems should be resolved. Below is a guide to 3 of the most common speech problems related to wearing dentures.
Slurring your speech
If you notice that your speech becomes slurred when wearing your dentures, the most likely cause is a loss of muscle strength in the mouth tissues. Dentures can place additional pressure on your gums and cheek muscles, causing them to have to work in new ways in order to assist you in generating speech. Thankfully, like any other muscle in the body, these muscles will increase in strength with use. Your dentist may recommend that you carry out special exercises in order to help strengthen these muscles.
Lisping or whistling
Developing a lisp or sometimes whistling involuntarily when speaking is a normal and common side effect of wearing new dentures. However, if these problems continue for more than a few weeks, you should book an appointment with your dentist. An ill-fitting or improperly adjusted denture could be the cause of the problem. If this is the case, your dentist will reshape and refit your dentures in order to stop any whistling or lisping.
Problems articulating consonants
If order to make consonant sounds such as 'd' and 't', you have to press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. However, because dentures can cover the roof of the mouth, you may find that enunciating these consonant sounds feels awkward or unnatural. The best way to overcome this difficultly is by practising producing the sound of the consonant while wearing your dentures. Over time, you will grow used to where you need to place your tongue in order to achieve the proper enunciation. A good way of training your tongue is by reciting a series of tongue twisters which feature the consonants you wish to learn.
If you have any concerns about your new dentures or your ability to speak properly while wearing them, you should contact your denture clinic today. Your dentist will be able to assess how well your dentures fit and offer further help and support.
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