People who start wearing dentures often are surprised by how difficult it can be to speak with them in place. Even subtle changes in the mouth force changes in the way the tongue and lips move, and denture wearers sometimes have to re-learn how to speak with the hardware in their mouth. Read on for some tips on how to speak well while wearing dentures. 

Prevent Shifting

Before you start to speak, bite down gently to press your dentures more firmly into place. This will help prevent slipping, which can interfere with your speech. If gently biting down doesn't prevent a slipping problem, consider using a denture adhesive. 

Practice

In order to get better at speaking, you have to practice! Talk to your spouse or friends. Stand in front of a mirror and talk to yourself. Read books out loud or to someone else. Take a break from typing and use talk to text software. Make all those phone calls you've been putting off and spend time on the phone with a customer service rep.

If you find that you have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, spend extra time working on those sounds until you feel comfortable saying them. All of this talking will help you get used to speaking with your dentures faster, will strengthen your lip, tongue, and cheek muscles, and if you talk to people who are good friends, you might even get some critiques!

Slow Down

You might notice clicking in your dentures when you talk. If you find this, try to slow down your speech. Keeping lower dentures stable requires effort from the tongue, lip and cheek muscles. If you speak more slowly, it'll be easier for these muscles to help hold the dentures in place. Eventually, your muscles will become trained to effectively stabilize the lower denture, and you'll be able to speak at your normal rate again. 

Be Patient

It takes time to get used to new dentures. Avoid the urge to take them out and give up. Instead, commit to wearing them full time for at least a few days. Most people find that they become quite comfortable with their dentures after a few days. If you still have difficulty getting used to them or speaking properly with them, consider getting some speech therapy. Speech therapy with a therapist trained in working with people with new dentures will give you techniques for working with your dentures rather than working against them. 

Contact a medical office like Physical Therapy Institute today to learn more.