How Tooth and Jaw Problems Affect Speech
Many different factors affect your speech, and tooth and jaw problems are among them. If you or your child has a speech impediment, take a trip to the dentist before starting sessions with a speech therapist. It could be that bad teeth or a small jaw is causing a speech issue, and by correcting the problem at its source, the impediment may dissipate naturally. In some cases, tooth and jaw problems affect speech in ways you never thought of.
Crooked Teeth Affect Speech
When the teeth don’t align properly, you have a higher tendency to develop speech problems. Crooked, overlapping, and twisted teeth change the placement of your tongue and may allow excess air to pass between your teeth, creating a whistle when you speak.
The most common way to deal with crooked teeth is to get braces. Invisalign is a popular option to straighten your teeth without metal brackets and wires. A visit with Dr. Evanson will reveal the extent of your problem. Then, we may choose to treat you in our Parker office or refer you to an orthodontist in the Denver area.
Premature Tooth Loss Affects Speech
Getting a tooth knocked out not only leaves a hole in your smile – it also affects your speech. Losing a baby tooth early is especially detrimental since this can negatively affect your child at a critical time of language development. It’s common for a child with a missing tooth to develop a speech impediment that requires help from a therapist later on.
With our restorative dentistry services here at Evanson DDS, you can fill the gaps left by lost teeth in a few ways:
- Space maintainers for children keep the gap open until the permanent tooth erupts.
- Removable partial dentures fill the gap with an artificial tooth attached to a retainer-like appliance.
- Dental implants fill the gap with an artificial tooth anchored to your jaw with a titanium screw.
- Bridges fill the gap with an artificial tooth attached to a crown on the adjacent teeth.
Self-Consciousness About Tooth Appearance Affects Speech
Sometimes, tooth and jaw structure isn’t to blame. Sometimes, discoloration, large front teeth, or even bad breath make you feel self-conscious about your smile, so you refrain from opening your mouth very wide, which causes you to mumble when you talk.
Fortunately, a little cosmetic dentistry is all you need to feel more confident when you smile and talk. At Evanson DDS, we offer:
- In-office and take-home tooth whitening treatments.
- Porcelain veneers to improve the appearance of badly stained teeth.
- Bonding to reinforce cracked or damaged teeth.
Jaw Structure Affects Speech
Sometimes, the jaw is to blame for speech problems. If your jaw bone is too small, your teeth may be crammed together, and your tongue has less room to move around. Upper and lower jaws that are different sizes from one another may also cause you to develop a poor bite pattern. As you can imagine, this has the potential to affect your speech.
If your jaw structure is having a huge impact on your quality of life, visit Evanson DDS for a consultation. Oral surgery is often needed to correct a small jaw. If we determine this is the best course of action for your situation, we’ll either plan to treat you in our office or refer you to a specialist, depending on your case.
Braces Affect Speech
Any dental appliance – from traditional metal braces to clear plastic Invisalign – has the potential to affect speech. Fortunately, the whistling and lisp caused by new braces are usually temporary. After a few days, most people grow accustomed to speaking with braces. Of course, it takes practice, so you might want to talk to yourself when you’re alone to speed up the adjustment process.
Visit Evanson DDS to Correct Tooth and Jaw Problems
We can tackle many tooth and jaw problems at our dentist office in Parker. If you or your child is struggling with a speech impediment, see what we can do before you see a speech pathologist. Simply contact us online or call Dr. Evanson at (720) 409-0008 today to schedule an appointment.
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