Metal Mouth Message Board

Howdy. I've had traditional braces since December 20th and have developed a mild lisp. One of the treatment goals is to widen both arches and I suspect the lisp is a result of the top arch opening up. I hadn't anticipated this and feel a bit anxious about it. I wonder if others have had this experience and how it worked out? I'd appreciate any comments/observations and particularly ones that may tend to put my mind at ease. I motht definitely will not devote time to thessions with a thpeech therapitht.

I have developed this as well..... others have not mentioned anything to me about it, but I definitely hear and am conscious of it as I do a lot of speaking in my job🤪

I don't know Andy, are you sure the lisp is not from a mouth full of braces?? I lisped quite a bit when I had a mouth full of metal; constantly having to repeat myself. I think too it's a learning process for where your tongue should be. Perhaps retraining your tongue to rest at the roof of your mouth if you find that it's not positioned as it was without braces.
Karla

Jami1 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2019 1:32 pm I have developed this as well..... others have not mentioned anything to me about it, but I definitely hear and am conscious of it as I do a lot of speaking in my job🤪

You're not helping!

And like you, others have made no mention of my slight lisp, but I'm aware of it. Hopefully, it sorts out for the both of us!

kplatt2010 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:46 pm I don't know Andy, are you sure the lisp is not from a mouth full of braces?? I lisped quite a bit when I had a mouth full of metal; constantly having to repeat myself. I think too it's a learning process for where your tongue should be. Perhaps retraining your tongue to rest at the roof of your mouth if you find that it's not positioned as it was without braces.
Karla

Thanks, Karla, good questions. No lisp at the beginning of treatment but one has developed and I first noticed it maybe two weeks ago. A week ago last Wednesday, square wires were placed both top and bottom and the lisp has become more pronounced (sorry for the bad pun) and the neutral position for my tongue hasn't changed from being in the upper arch area. Ugh, I hope this improves.

I had a lisp the entire time I wore braces and also have one with my retainers in. It really bothered me, and I worried that the lisp would continue after my braces were removed. However, it did not. I am wearing my retainers at night only now, but during the day, retainer-free, I do not lisp. I hope you'll have the same experience. Sadly, you may have to wait until your braces come off to know for sure.

I had a lisp at the very beginning of my braces journey. It got “cured” after I went back to work for the first time since getting braces. I work as a nurse...so there was lot of talking involved, and I guess during my first shift back to work, my tongue and lips very quickly learned how to talk with braces in.

I also had a lisp initially when I first got my retainers. I only wear them at night. I’ve been braces free for about 1.5 months now, and I don’t have issues talking with my retainers in. I guess I just learned how to talk with two pieces of plastic over my teeth.

My only suggestion is to keep talking and hopefully the lisp will solve itself.

Thank you for your comments, Emily and @Mpkh. It seems there are quite a few people around who've struggled with enunciation while in braces. In a recent conversation with someone who also had a lisp-like issue, the speech impediment was characterized as more a slur than lisp and I think that's closer to the truth. It could be worse, I s'pose.

Had I mentioned that saliva now tends to get past my lips at the corners? Definitely not a good idea to hover over the BBQ.

Lordy--what next?

I too have developed a lisp during treatment. I notice that the lisp is more pronounced in the morning but once I start talking it becomes more airy sounding. I've found that drinking water throughout the day seems to help (a dry mouth can be the culprit), as does stretching my lips to either side whenever I say a word that has an "s" in it. Picture it as almost smiling when saying a word. I hope this helps!

Thanks for the comments! The slur-lisp I have hasn't really changed. At times it's more difficult to control than others. A friend told me that he hadn't picked up on it, so that's nice to know. And though stretching lips out helps, doing so is unnatural for me, so I don't make a habit of doing it. Next ortho appointment is in one week. It'll be interesting to find if the ability to enunciate is further affected by changes/progression in/of treatment.

I hear you. It IS so unnatural and I have to be conscious of the way I speak but it's the only thing so far that has helped. I hope all goes well at your next appointment and that this resolves itself. And if you find any ways to minimize your dreaded lisp please share!