How do braces affect speech?

[embracethebrace]

I'm about to get braces in a short amount of time and I'm worried about how it will affect my speech. I'm a first grade teacher and a huge part of my job is teaching letting sounds, blends, etc. I'm slightly concerned with my ability to teach letter sounds with new braces on. The time I get my braces is going to line up with the beginning of the school year.
If braces affected your speech, for how did they do that?

Thanks!!!

[Gia]

I had some minor trouble the first week or two. Had to talk a bit more slowly/carefully. Not sure anyone else noticed. Now is fine.

[Navygrrl]

Try to talk A LOT when you get them on. I didn't have much trouble with speaking, but every now and then at first there were words that were harder to say (I don't remember what they were). I talk a lot at my job, and most people didn't notice anything and it was mostly my own self-consciousness that made it seem worse than it was.

[gorillatoad]

Certain sounds will lisp a bit, but it'll clear up in a couple of weeks as your mouth adapts. I'm a teacher as well... don't worry, you'll be fine!

[ColdCoffee]

You should be fine, don't worry about it too much. As long as there is nothing behind your teeth, any difficulties are probably going to be only very minor. It is crazy how fast tongues and lips can adapt! There will probably be days when the gaps between your teeth will be smaller/bigger than what your are used to, and I think that is what can cause the problems; but even for the people with braces on the inside of the teeth, their lisp gets better within a few weeks. You'll be fine Most likely, if anyone notices anything at all, it will only be you.