That “s” and “sh” thing really got me too when I first got my upper denture. I remember trying to say “sixth street” and just giving up halfway through—sounded like I had a mouthful of marbles. My dentist did mention that if things didn’t settle after a few weeks, they could adjust the fit a bit. I was nervous about that, honestly, since I’d read somewhere that sometimes adjustments can make things feel even weirder for a while.
Funny enough, after my first tweak, my “s” sounds actually improved, but then I started lisping on “ch” words instead. It was like playing whack-a-mole with my speech. Eventually, with some practice (and a lot of reading out loud to my dog), things smoothed out. I think it’s just one of those awkward phases you have to stumble through.
I totally get the frustration, though. It’s wild how even tiny changes in your mouth can throw everything off. But for me at least, it did get better—just took a bit of patience and some trial and error.
That “s” and “sh” mess had me tongue-tied for weeks. I swear, my grandkids thought I was speaking a new language. Adjustments helped a bit, but honestly, just talking (and mumbling through the awkward bits) worked better for me. Reading out loud—yep, even to the cat—made a difference. It’s wild how your mouth eventually figures it out, but man, it’s a weird ride.
- Oh man, the “sh” vs “s” thing had me sounding like I was rebooting mid-sentence.
- My wife kept asking if I was trying to speak Klingon or just having a stroke...
- Tried those pronunciation exercises on YouTube—felt ridiculous, but they kinda helped.
- Reading tech manuals out loud (don’t judge) actually did the trick for me.
- Still trip up on “system” sometimes, but hey, at least my dog doesn’t judge.
That “sh” and “s” mix-up is all too familiar. I remember the first week with my new set, I couldn’t get through a sentence without feeling like my tongue was in a wrestling match. My daughter actually recorded me trying to say “Swiss cheese” and it sounded like I was speaking in riddles. She thought it was hilarious — I wasn’t quite as amused at the time.
I tried those YouTube pronunciation videos as well. Felt pretty silly at first, sitting at the kitchen table repeating “she sells seashells…” over and over. But honestly, after a few days, it did help smooth things out a bit. Reading out loud was another trick that worked for me, though I stuck to the newspaper instead of tech manuals. Guess it doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you’re practicing.
Funny thing, certain words still trip me up too — “statistics” is my nemesis. My grandkids think it’s funny when I stumble on it, but they’re pretty encouraging about the whole thing. It’s nice when people around you can have a laugh without making you feel self-conscious.
One thing I noticed: if my dentures are even slightly loose or if I skip using adhesive one day, my speech gets worse right away. Not sure if anyone else has that issue? My dentist said it’s normal while your mouth adjusts, but it can be frustrating.
Honestly, patience has been key for me. Took about a month before things started feeling natural again. If anything, all this practice has made me more aware of how I speak — silver lining, maybe? And yes, pets are definitely the most forgiving audience... My cat just stares at me either way.
Hang in there — it really does get easier with time and a little humor helps too.
One thing I noticed: if my dentures are even slightly loose or if I skip using adhesive one day, my speech gets worse right away. Not sure if anyone else has that issue? My dentist said it’s normal while your mouth adjusts, but it can be frustrating.
That’s interesting, because I’ve actually had the opposite experience with adhesives. My dentist kept telling me to use a little bit, but every time I did, my dentures felt almost too “stuck” and it made my mouth feel stiff, like I couldn’t move my tongue the right way. Skipping adhesive for a day or two actually helped me get used to the natural fit and figure out how to position my tongue for those tricky “s” and “sh” sounds. Maybe everyone’s mouth is just a bit different.
I totally get what you mean about patience, though. Took me a good six weeks before I stopped dreading phone calls. My nephew still teases me about the way I said “sushi” at his birthday dinner—sounded more like “fooshy” at the time. It’s a process, for sure. Sometimes I wonder if the real trick is just not caring so much about the slip-ups... easier said than done, I know.