Caught a news piece the other day about how folks adjust to speaking with dentures, and apparently it takes way longer than most people expect. Like, months sometimes. The article mentioned some speech therapists are now getting involved earlier to help people get used to their new teeth and avoid that whole “marbles in your mouth” feeling. I remember my uncle mumbling for weeks after he got his set—he was so frustrated, especially on the phone.
The story also talked about practicing tongue twisters and reading out loud as little daily exercises. Anyone actually tried those? Did it work, or just make you feel silly? I’m curious if anyone here had a similar struggle (or maybe it was easier than you thought?).
I actually did the tongue twister thing after getting partials last year—felt ridiculous at first, but it honestly helped with those tricky “s” and “sh” sounds. My dentist mentioned the muscles need to relearn everything, kind of like physical therapy for your mouth. Reading out loud made me more aware of where my tongue was hitting, too. It took longer than I wanted, but not as long as I feared. The frustration is real though... phone calls were the worst for me, since you can’t rely on gestures or lip reading.
It took longer than I wanted, but not as long as I feared.
I get what you mean about tongue twisters, but honestly, I found them a bit awkward and didn’t stick with it. For me, just talking more with family or reading the news aloud helped more than any “exercise.” Plus, I couldn’t justify spending extra on speech therapy sessions. I do agree, though—phone calls are brutal at first.
I totally relate to skipping the tongue twisters—they felt a bit forced for me, too. Reading aloud was way less awkward, especially when I could just pick an article or even a recipe and go for it. Phone calls are still tough some days, though. Did you ever notice if certain words or sounds were trickier for you? For me, “s” and “th” took forever to sound normal again... kind of funny in hindsight.
“Th” and “s” were my nemesis too—felt like I was hissing at people for a while. My wife kept teasing me about sounding like a cartoon snake. Honestly, reading recipes out loud was my go-to, mostly because I could snack after, which felt like a reward for all the awkward talking. I still trip up with certain words if I’m tired or distracted, but it’s way better than those first few weeks.
