Speech Impediments and Teeth

Fetch. Vivid. Jive. Start. Zoo. Chair. Gym.

All of these words rely on the teeth to form their first sound.

Our world would not be able to function without communication. While there are many forms of communication, verbal communication and listening are perhaps the most important. As humans are the most social animals, human speech is the most complex. In order to form sounds, humans use several different structures to create it, including the lungs, trachea, larynx, vocal chords, tongue, and teeth. All of these structures work together in a way that allows us to express our wants, needs, emotions and dreams. 

Articulation happens in the mouth, and creating clear speech without teeth is all but impossible. There are several words that depend on the teeth for their pronunciation. The sounds that rely on the teeth for their production are known as “strident” sounds, but what happens to the teeth to impact these strident sounds we create?

Teeth and Speech

• Overcrowded Teeth happen when instead of growing into their correct position, the teeth do not have enough room and grow into unnatural positions. This can affect tongue position and the ability to form certain sounds.
• Overbites happen when the top arch of teeth stick out far beyond the lower teeth, which can make it especially difficult to form sounds like the ‘stridents’ mentioned above. 
• Openbites are caused by the top teeth and the bottom teeth not coming together in the correct position, which can lead to them looking open. This can create an interdental lisp. 
• Gapped Teeth are caused when there is an excessive amount of space between teeth and a whistling sound can arise when creating speech.

The best way to fix these issues and get clearer speech is to correct the issues within the mouth. There are numerous ways in which this is possible, most notably with metal braces and Invisalign® By correcting how the teeth are positioned in your mouth, you can pronounce your words with greater precision and get rid of a lisp altogether. Schedule a consultation with our Winter Springs, FL office by calling (407) 699-9831 and see what treatment options will work best for you.