Getting braces soon - How long will my speech be affected?

[str8teethby30]

First post here. I'm 27 and am finally getting braces, after years of crooked teeth. I've always had a canine tooth that sticks out (I hate the term "snaggle tooth"), but in recent years, my other front teeth have become noticeably more crooked.

I've had all the moldings made and am scheduled to get ceramic clear braces on my top teeth in mid-July. My bottom teeth are less crooked (and I have minimal bite issues), so the orthodontist is going to wait a few months before putting braces on the bottom teeth. I will also be having one extraction (the premolar behind my problem canine tooth to alleviate overcrowding) on the day I get my top braces. I've had extractions before, and I'm not too worried about that. I'll have the braces for 18-24 months ... hoping to get them off by my 30th birthday (26 months from now).

I realized, however, that I'm scheduled to speak at a pretty big work-related event (seminar) 10 days after I'm scheduled to get my top braces on. I know that eating is going to be an issue for quite awhile, and I can deal with that. But how much will my speech be affected, and for how long? I know it's probably a case-by-case thing, but I'm curious about other people's experiences.

Thanks in advance for any insight. :)

[emmy30]

Congrats on getting braced, str8teethby30! I'm 29 and got my braces back in May. I noticed some very minor speech difficulties the first week on days that I had to talk a lot at work -- my mouth would get very dry and I would end up needing to use some wax on my canines and 1st bicuspids (my speech would sound slightly mumbled toward the end of these days and I noticed that I had to repeat myself a few times in meetings). I just passed the one month mark last week and can honestly say I haven't noticed anything since that first week. Who knows what it will be like after my first adjustment though!

Best of luck!
Emmy

[Lynette]

I didn't have any speech difficulties at all

[Iam918]

I didn't have any speech difficulties at all

^ This. None for me either.

Keep a glass of water w/ you to take a few sips while speaking. If your mouth is sore/cut from the braces put some wax on a couple of non-noticeable brackets and you should be fine.

[Jensniffer]

I spit a little bit when I spoke, for the first week, and dry mouth for sure, alternating with the too much saliva at other times lol I had a bit of a problem slurring my 'ssss' a bit but I have tiny mouth which seems even smaller now with so much equipment in there. Its not so bad though, wax is your friend!

[kmluvgod]

I noticed that Im having more of a lisp sound after my adjustment, but Im guessing its because I have a smaller mouth.

[ktbanh]

for me, it was slightly affected but I think that if you try your best to be articulate, everything should be fine

[braceface2b]

You'll probably be ok unless you're also getting bite turbos. I had them bonded to the backs of my front teeth the day I got my upper braces, and I sounded like an absolute moron for about two weeks. It was incredibly difficult to talk as they were poking me in the tongue all the time. I finally got them off last week, which ended up pretty much being a non-event, because I had somehow learned to live with them to the point that they no longer bothered me at all.

You may want to ask your ortho. They were kinda sprung on me as a surprise when I was being bonded. They did all the upper brackets, then he told me he was placing the turbos as well.

This is my 2nd time in braces. The first was when I was in high school, and I didn't have turbos then. No speech issues that I recall until I got the braces off and got my retainers.

[mmm2010]

you should be fine! I just got mine for the third time (ceramic top and metal on bottom). i thought my speech sounded off the first 2 or 3 days but everyone else said they didn't notice a change (i only noticed a very slight change) this go around. the other two times I really didn't notice a change in my speech (accept when i had a palate expander!). I think the only reason I felt like my speech changed is because the braces felt weird at first when I talked because they rubbed against my top lip.

[str8teethby30]

Thanks, all! I'll ask about the turbos. He didn't mention them before (when he explained the whole process), but I'll want to be sure. I'll let you know how it goes. :)