newbie and I can't talk!

Message

#1 Post by **Damian** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:46 am

I got braces two weeks ago, full metal. They hurt the first week, then I got used to them. However, I still have trouble speaking!
I have to speak to groups several times a week for my job and the braces make this very difficult. The way they look does not bother me, but I have been considering giving up on this whole thing if I have to talk funny for the next two years.
I thought I would be used to them after two weeks, anyone have any advice?

#2 Post by **Joanna20** » Wed May 24, 2006 12:29 pm

Hey I've had my bottom braces for about 5 days and I'm talking funny as well... I'm slowly progressing! I have to speak up during English and Spanish classes, I always

! I'm dying to go back to my normal speaking... Plus I LOVE singing

I guess this only happens in the first weeks, cause I know a lot of people in braces who can speak normally. Some of us may take longer! I think you'll be fine

Don't give up! Youâ€™ll get loads of support in this message board!

Good luck,
Joanna

#3 Post by **blondie111** » Wed May 24, 2006 2:47 pm

Hey Damian, don't give up yet! I noticed a definate change in my speech when I first got them, but I am doing MUCH better now, after a month. I still have a whistling sound when I say my "f's", but I can deal with that. You will get used to it, just give it some time!

#4 Post by **Damian** » Thu May 25, 2006 6:26 am

I noticed that I have a lisp now and have trouble saying my F's and S's.
Part of the problem is my brackets keep sticking to my lips. It's better if I have lip balm on, but my lisp really bugs me! Everyone at work keeps commenting on it.
I also noticed that I don't have the lisp when I talk on the phone, just when I talk to people face to face. I think part of it might be I'm self conscious about the way my mouth looks now and move it differently when I talk to people in person.
My husband says he can't tell any difference at all, but he's probably just being nice!

#5 Post by **Huon** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:07 pm

Damian.
I had trouble when I was singing, when I first had my braces. My ortho advised me to use some petroleum jelly on the upper archwire and brackets to help the lip slide over them. That might help you when you are speaking. I found it a help.
Huon

#6 Post by **Flora2006** » Fri May 26, 2006 11:26 pm

I still sometimes have a bit of trouble saying certain words...but things definitely go better once you get really used to all this stuff in your mouth...

Give it a little time and you will be fine

Don't give up.

#7 Post by **lionfish** » Sat May 27, 2006 2:17 am

Stick with it, damian. If you can talk on the phone without problems, then that's a good sign. You just need to the confidence to do this face to face.

The petroleum jelly tip sounds like a good one.

#8 Post by **ingyandbert** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:32 am

Keep your lips moistened and concentrate on speaking slowly; that will help you annunciate better. The times I've had trouble speaking it was because I was talking too fast or I was just very tired and worn out.

#9 Post by **krennen** » Sun May 28, 2006 4:32 pm

Just to add my two cents. I did talk funny at first then things improved somewhat and now I don't speak as well again. It has been almost five months since I got braces and I think things will probably change some more as time goes on! When this is all done I hope I can talk as well as when I was Ms Crooked Teeth

#10 Post by **Grin&bareit73** » Sun May 28, 2006 8:45 pm

When I first got braced I talked funny too, I almost wanted to get them removed because of it..
Then I realized because they felt so big and foreign in my mouth, I was trying too hard to get my lips around them, and I was making myself talk funny.
A month later, I'm more used to them, and I only feel like i'm talking funny when my mouth is really dry and my lips stick to them, or i'm tired and slurry anyway.
I always hated the whistling sound the spaces between my front teeth made when I said my s's- so I'll take the temporary speech impediment anyday!!

It's so worth the temporary discomfort...just give it some time!!

#11 Post by **mogwai** » Mon May 29, 2006 9:16 am

I have the same thing! Its soo annoying!!!!

Its the wires that go round the back of the teeth from the molar bands that do it. I have them on both top and bottom, but I did get used to talking 'around' them in a couple of weeks, and you couldnt really notice a difference in my speech unles I was tired.

But this week, my ortho snipped off the bottom wire - whhooppeee I thought! But somehow this is causing me to lisp and slur again. But I think its just a matter of getting used to talking with the extra stuff in your mouth - you'll figure it out Im sure, its only a matter of time!

#12 Post by **sjsarre** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:01 pm

Funnily enough I didn't really have too many problems talking initially, but over the past couple of weeks i've developed an annoying lisp.. I wonder if its because my teeth have moved...

#13 Post by **Lyn** » Tue May 30, 2006 6:13 am

My lisping quickly turned into spitting.

I had spaces created from movement and every once in a while a friend would get an unsuspecting shower -- - eww!! That's the worse.

BUT it does get better - give it time!!!