Speech Defects And Dental Problems

If you have a speech problem, such as a lisp, this might be caused by a dental issue that can be corrected.

When we think of problems with our teeth, we most likely think of toothache, problems with eating or simply the way that it affects our appearance. There is another area though that affects thousands of people across the UK, and many more around the world. This is the problem of speech defects caused by oral health issues. One of the most common of these is the ‘lisp’, and we will be discussing this and other problems in today’s blog.

Let us take a look then at some of the dental issues that can cause speech defects, along with their potential solutions.

Missing teeth

Any changes in the tooth structure can potentially make a difference to our speech. Sometimes we naturally adjust and any changes are barely, if at all, noticeable. When teeth are lost though, and especially the front teeth that we press our tongue against for certain sounds, this can result in a lisp or sometimes a ‘whistling sound’. This is a significant example and it is unlikely that we will fully adjust to this situation, so the best solution, and for other obvious reasons, is to replace the missing teeth. This can be done using a bridge, dentures or the dental implants that we can provide at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic.

Misaligned teeth

Crooked teeth can create issues with certain sounds that we make. This is less likely with minor crookedness, such as when teeth overlap a little, and we may naturally adjust to this. More significant malocclusion though can cause noticeable speech defects and is best corrected by having orthodontic treatment provided at our local Canterbury dentists. We are able to provide ‘invisible’ style orthodontics such as Invisalign that enable you to have your teeth straightened in a comfortable and discreet manner.

Overcrowded teeth

Some people simply have too many teeth in their mouth. This can lead to difficulties with certain sounds such as ‘s’ and ‘r’. Again, orthodontic treatment is likely to be needed to rectify this problem and it may also require some teeth to be extracted too in order to restore your speech to normal.

Diastema

A diastema is, essentially, a gap between the teeth. Most commonly though it refers to a gap between the top two front teeth. In addition to any visible issues this might cause, it is also a common cause of problems in the pronunciation of certain sounds such as ‘s’ or ‘th’. This speech issue can usually be corrected by closing the gap. This can be done using orthodontic treatment, or, depending on the situation, bonding or porcelain dental veneers in order to close the gap between the teeth.

Crowns, bridges or orthodontics

Any changes to the mouth can cause speech issues, at least initially, and using any of the above to correct a dental problem can bring speech issues of their own. In addition to increased saliva flow, many patients find that their speech changes initially although, depending on circumstances, this can adjust over time. If you feel that any changes in speech are too significant or if they don’t improve, you should contact your dentist who will attempt to make adjustments to resolve or ease the situation where possible.

Gum disease

We know that gum disease can lead to tooth loss which we have covered earlier in this blog. It can also lead to loose and wobbly teeth though. Even though our tongues can press against these when speaking, our brain may ‘warn’ us that this might be a problem and adjust our speech to avoid or minimise this. It is always best to prevent this condition with good home cleaning and with a regular scale and polish provided by our friendly dental hygienist. If your teeth are already loose because of gum disease, you may require a deep clean or root scaling to help to reverse this where it is possible.

Worn teeth/bruxism

If the teeth become worn through grinding, this can cause issues with some sounds and may also cause a degree of slurring. Bruxism is not easy to treat as it mostly occurs when we sleep, often due to stress. It can take some time for the stress to become less of an issue and, if you are aware that you do this in your sleep, we recommend that you ask your dentist about wearing a mouthguard to prevent this while you sleep.

If you have noticed a change in your speech, especially in the pronunciation of certain sounds, it is worth asking your dentist to investigate tooth problems as a potential cause of this. Many speech issues caused in this way can be corrected using one of the treatments that we have available at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic, and, after examination, we should be able to help you to rectify the problem with your speech. For further information or to book an appointment to see a dentist, please call our friendly reception team on 01227 463529.