Learning to Speak with Your New Dentures

Getting started on any new adventure can sometimes take some getting used to. If you’re about to receive your first set of dentures, you may have heard that there is often a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using them. Thankfully, this is temporary and with practice wearing your new dentures will become second nature. In the meantime, try these tips to help you learn to comfortably speak and eat with your prosthetics!

Speaking Clearly with Dentures

Though your new dentures will eventually become easy to speak and chew with (in about 15 to 30 days) you may notice that at first you may struggle to enunciate or have a mild lisp. Here are a few tips to make speaking a little bit easier in the first month:

• Bite and swallow your food before you speak. This will help reposition your dentures and prevent them from slipping.
• Practice reading aloud with your dentures in. This will help you get used to saying common words and gauge your speaking speed so you can pace yourself in conversations.
• Practice using normal volume to speak. Narrate your day, or if you have friends or family around, have a conversation with them. The more you talk, the sooner you will master it.
• Count from 60 to 90 to help you practice more challenging sounds.

If you notice your dentures making clicking sounds when you talk, this is because the muscles in your lips, cheek, and tongue may be trying to “kick out” your dentures. Try speaking a bit slower to prevent this until your mouth gets used to wearing them.

Eating With Dentures

During the first month, eating with your new dentures may be a bit difficult as well. Your dentist recommends that you start slowly with soft or pureed foods, and gradually add harder foods after you’ve mastered them. Great suggestions include things like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, yogurt, and applesauce.

Remember, like any new thing, your dentures will require an adjustment period, but with continuous use and practice, you should have the hang of your new smile in about a month!

About Dr. Salivonchik

Dr. S. John Salivonchik is a skilled and caring dentist with a background in general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry. If you are missing teeth and need to replace them with the help of dentures, let Dr. Salivonchik and the team assist you in transitioning to your new smile.

To schedule a consultation for dentures, please visit our website or call us today at 610-502-1545.