It is standard procedure that, once your braces have been fitted, you will need a bit of time to adjust to them. It is entirely regular for your mouth to feel a little strange, whether you have gone for metal braces or clear aligners.
Will Lingual Braces affect me?
Each patient is different, so lingual braces will be different for everyone. Some key differences between patients are the shape and size of the bite; the strength of your jaw muscle is different for everyone, as is the amount of control we have with our tongues. Many will adjust quickly to the feeling of lingual braces and many do not have issues with their speech. However, the structure of the brace can take the tongue a while to get used to. Sometimes the brace can cause a temporary lisp or mispronunciation of words, which may cause some issues with self-confidence when speaking.
Will my speech be affected permanently?
Our tongues are sensitive; they are aware of even the smallest changes in your mouth, including ulcers. Whilst the tongue has high sensitivity, it is very adaptable and can adjust to sensations caused by lingual braces very quickly. In some cases, patients might opt to speak with a voice tutor therapist.
How long will it take?
Some lingual braces, such as Quick Straight Teeth, offer teeth alignment and other fixes in a much shorter space of time in comparison to other traditional braces. Most patients will be finished with their treatment plan after 7 months. Many patients will find themselves feeling insecure about their speech, but people around them do not notice any difference in speech or mispronunciations. With issues like this, a lot of it tends to be in your own head.
Will braces make my speech better?
In some scenarios, braces can actually have an improvement on certain speech impediments. Our teeth play a vital role in pronunciation and articulation of words; once they are fixed, your speech may be altered for the better. Some issues with lisps or whistling speech tend to come with wide spaced teeth or problems with bite.
Braces can have an effect on your speech, but it is a temporary adjustment for a permanent straight smile. You will need to be patient and just practise your pronunciation of the words you are struggling with. It won’t be long until you no longer notice your speech, with the happy addition of a new smile.
