Speaking with braces

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#1 Post by **Willz** » Sun May 20, 2007 9:49 pm

Does anyone else have trouble with pronunciation of words? I have particular trouble with Fâ€™s. Its rather embarrassing.

Sun May 20, 2007 10:07 pm

Yes, the F's are hard for me too. I do have a little trouble speaking because my lips get stuck in my brackets. I speak a lot slower than I used to, which is probably a good thing. I feel like telling people, "No, I don't have a speech impairment, I just have braces!"

#3 Post by **GinaLime** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:25 pm

It's hard for me to pronounce certain words too, though I find that if I'm wearing lip-gloss I can speak much more easily. The other day I forgot my lip balm, my lips totally dried out and I could barely get my lips over my teeth!

Sun May 20, 2007 10:54 pm

When I first got them on i had troubles with the F's as well.

#5 Post by **LaaLaa** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:33 am

At first I actually didn't have any problems pronouncing words but as the days passed, I too boarded the "can't pronounce words that start with F correctly" wagon.

I feel like I'm whistling whenever I say a word that starts with F....which I guess maybe a plus for me since I can't whistle!!

The most annoying thing about that though is my phone number consists of quite a few 4's, so many people have to ask me twice for it.

#6 Post by **mikecl** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:43 pm

I've had an upper brace since 11 May and have found saying certain words difficult but it's all part of the learning process and the braces experience.

Mike

#7 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:27 pm

I had trouble with S and F, but I wasn't sure if it was also inpart of having no 1st premolars and extra big teeth with ceramic brackets in a mouth where my lips hardly covered my naked teeth.

#8 Post by **acehigh** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:46 pm

Hello!! When I first had my braces put on my f's were whistling!!

I found myself saying my f's very quietly at work because of this......lol. I even went as far as sticking wax in between the front teeth under the archwire....but somehow it just didn't work. I'd walk around the house practicing new ways to pronounce my f's. (I'd talk to myself a lot back then because of this......lol). I hate to admit it, but I was starting to stress out.

It does go away!! It may take about two weeks, but you'll notice it gone when one day you realize you're not worried about using words with the letter f......lol.

#9 Post by **acehigh** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:50 pm

One more comment........I usually put a small dab of wax on every top front bracket before work so that when I smile my lips won't get caught up on them.

Your lips nicely slide over the brackets without getting all hung up.....lol.

#10 Post by **MiamiRox05** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:39 pm

When I first got braced, it was even worse, I had these ceramic things glued to the back of my 2 front teeth so my over bite would hit my bottom brackets, any how, It was horrible I was so embarassed for the first week because I talked funny. But then I learned to reposition my tongue else where so it sounded better and after I had those things removed everything was back to normal, just like the braces, the talking needs getting used to. After a while you won't even remember it.

#11 Post by **Thathrill** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:02 pm

The first day was the worst. I was repeating every sentence to everyone. LOL It has gotten better but I still struggle with speaking clearly. I try to talk slower and make it as clear as I can but Fs are difficult

#12 Post by **Zondrae** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:43 pm

I haven't really had much trouble - well not until this adjustment anyway!

Now I've got a really whistly S - I've just started with elastics so I think that is why. I'm sure it will pass soon enough.

#13 Post by **nice teeth** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:08 am

Yes I have a lisp now, I'm kinda sounding like sylvester the cat

#14 Post by **Phil098342wq** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:20 am

I have always had some speach problems. In college, 2 years ago, I was given a huge speech. I had run over it in my mind a thousand times. It was on our Civic Center park where our capitol building is built. The speech contained the word capitol more than twenty times. Everything was going good till I came to the first captil, cop tol, and the speech was ruined before I got through the thesis. I made an appointment to see a speech therapist and I will always have some trouble. So I told myself one thing I would do would practice my pronounciation as much as I could with braces because I knew it would be hard, but second when they come off I will be mr smile speech man! (I also stutter when I start a sentence with "I")

#15 Post by **kypsis** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:30 am

I didn't have any problems for the first 3-4 days after the braces went on, but since then I'm having a kind of a lisp. S's are the worst, very whistly, like others have said about themselves. I think it's because the teeth are in slightly different positions now than the tongue is used to and constantly moving (however slowly), so the tongue has to re-learn the positions to go to for pronouncing different letters and words. Hopefully this will pass soon, cause I am getting tired of saying every sentence twice! LOL.