Getting used to these dentures has been a wild ride, but the thing that’s throwing me off most is talking. I keep stumbling over “s” and “sh” sounds, and sometimes it feels like my tongue just gives up halfway through a sentence. My family says they barely notice, but I feel super self-conscious at work, especially on Zoom calls.
Is this just a phase that goes away with time, or are there tricks to help speed things along? I’ve tried reading out loud and singing in the car (which is hilarious, but not sure it’s helping much). Did anyone else have this issue? Would love to hear what worked (or didn’t) for you.
I totally went through the same thing, especially with “s” sounds—felt like I had a permanent lisp for weeks. Reading out loud helped a bit, but what made the biggest difference for me was practicing slower and exaggerating those tricky words. It’s awkward at first, but your mouth does seem to adjust over time. Have you noticed if certain foods make it worse or better? Sometimes sticky stuff would throw me off even more.
Sticky foods definitely made things trickier for me too, but honestly, I found that reading out loud didn’t help as much as just talking to people throughout the day. I actually got more used to the dentures by forcing myself into regular conversations, even if it was a bit embarrassing at first. Did you ever try singing along to music? For some reason, singing seemed to help my tongue figure out where it needed to go faster than reading did. Wonder if anyone else had that experience...
Funny you mention singing, because I actually did that too, but not on purpose at first. My grandkids were over and we were all belting out silly songs in the kitchen, and I realized halfway through that my words were coming out a lot clearer than when I tried reading those tongue-twister exercises the dentist gave me. There’s something about music that just gets your mouth moving differently, I guess.
I’ll admit, talking to people face-to-face was the hardest for me in the beginning. I felt self-conscious about slipping up or sounding odd, but after a while, you just sort of get used to it. My daughter kept telling me nobody noticed the little things I was worried about. She was probably right—most folks are too busy thinking about their own stuff.
Sticky foods are still a pain, though. I’ve learned to avoid caramel and peanut butter unless I’m feeling brave (or foolish). But as for speech, I’d say singing—especially slower songs where you have to enunciate—helped me more than reading out loud. Maybe it’s because you stretch your mouth more or hold certain sounds longer? Not sure why, but it worked for me.
One thing that really helped was reading bedtime stories to my youngest granddaughter. She’s patient, and if I fumbled a word, she’d just giggle and make up a new one with me. That made it less stressful and more like a game.
Everybody’s mouth is different, though. What works for one person might not do much for someone else. But you’re right—forcing yourself into regular conversations, even if it’s just chatting with the cashier or neighbor, makes a world of difference over time. It’s awkward at first, but it gets easier. I still stumble over “statistics” now and then, but hey, who doesn’t?
Curious if anyone else found certain words trickier than others? For me it was anything with an “S” or “SH” sound... those took the longest to feel natural again.
Those “s” and “sh” sounds really do seem to trip people up the most. I remember when I first got my dentures, I felt like I had a permanent lisp—especially when I was tired or talking fast. My dentist told me it’s pretty common, since your tongue basically has to relearn where to land for those tricky sounds. Singing helped me a bit too, but what made the biggest difference was slowing down and exaggerating the problem words when I practiced. Felt silly at first, but after a few weeks it started feeling more natural.
One thing that surprised me: using a mirror while speaking. Watching my mouth move helped me catch what was going wrong, especially with “ch” and “j” sounds. Also, sipping water before meetings seemed to help with dryness, which made my speech clearer.
I still get nervous on video calls sometimes—there’s something about seeing yourself talk that makes every little slip feel huge. But honestly, most people don’t notice unless you point it out. It does get easier, just takes more patience than I expected.