How to Speak Clearly with New Dentures: A Complete Guide

Getting new dentures is an exciting step toward restoring your smile, your confidence, and your quality of life. But for many patients, the first time they try to speak with their new teeth, they notice something unexpected: words don't come out quite the way they used to.

Maybe you've developed a slight lisp. Maybe your dentures click together when you talk. Or maybe you just feel like your voice sounds different, and you're worried others will notice.

Here's the good news: this is completely normal, and it's temporary.

In this guide, we'll explain why dentures affect your speech, give you practical exercises to retrain your mouth, and help you understand what to expect during your adjustment period. At ABC Dental Chicago, we've helped countless patients through this transition—and we're here to help you too.

Why Do New Dentures Affect Your Speech?

Speech is a complex coordination between your tongue, lips, teeth, and palate. When you introduce dentures into your mouth, you're essentially changing the architecture of your oral cavity.

Here's what's happening:

Your tongue has less room. Dentures take up space in your mouth, particularly upper dentures that cover the palate (the roof of your mouth). Your tongue, which has spent decades learning exactly where to go to form certain sounds, suddenly has to navigate a new landscape.

Your teeth are in a different position. Artificial teeth might sit in a slightly different position than your natural teeth did. When you make an "S" sound, for example, your tongue needs to be exactly 1-2 millimeters from your upper front teeth. Even small changes can affect how that sound comes out.

Your palate is covered. The hard palate acts as a sounding board for your voice. A denture covering it can alter the acoustics of your speech, sometimes making your voice sound louder or more muffled to your own ears.

Your brain is learning. Your brain gets different feedback from your gums than it did from your natural tooth roots, so your tongue position might be slightly different at first.

The result? Sounds that once rolled off your tongue effortlessly may now require conscious effort. But with practice, your brain and muscles will adapt.

Common Speech Challenges with New Dentures

Most new denture wearers experience at least one of these issues during the first few weeks:

A lisp or slight slurring of words, especially with "S" sounds
Difficulty pronouncing "S," "F," "V," "Sh," and "Th" sounds
Your dentures clicking together when you talk
Extra saliva or a feeling of needing to swallow constantly
Feeling self-conscious when speaking in public

These challenges are normal and usually improve within a few weeks as you become more accustomed to your dentures.

How Long Does It Take to Adjust?

For most people, the adjustment period takes about two to four weeks. Speech typically normalizes within this timeframe with daily practice.

The American Dental Association notes that a few hours of practice will usually conquer most speech problems. However, some patients may need a bit longer—up to 4-6 weeks—depending on how long they went without teeth before getting dentures.

Important: If you've had your dentures for more than 8 weeks and you're still struggling with a noticeable lisp or distorted sounds, your dentures might need adjustments or modifications. Don't struggle in silence—one of our denture specialists at ABC Dental can help identify the issue and make the necessary adjustments.

7 Practical Exercises to Speak Clearly with Dentures

Think of these exercises as "muscular reprogramming". The more you practice, the faster your brain adapts to the new physical contours of your mouth.

1. The Aloud Reading Drill (15 Minutes Daily)

This is the single most effective way to retrain your speech. Pick up a newspaper, a book, or even a magazine article, and read out loud slowly and clearly.

Focus on difficult sounds: Pay close attention to words containing "S," "F," "V," "Sh," and "Th"
If you stumble: Pause, pronounce the word slowly syllable by syllable, and repeat it three times
Read at conversation volume: Use the volume you would use for everyday conversation
Your ears need to hear what your mouth is doing to correct errors in real-time

2. Count from Sixty to Seventy

This is a speech therapist's secret weapon. Counting from sixty to seventy forces your tongue to find the "sweet spot" against the palate to produce crisp "s" sounds.

Try it: sixty, sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three...

3. Practice Tongue Placement Words

Pronounce words that force your tongue to touch different parts of your mouth:

For "S" and "Z" sounds: Say "Mississippi," "Sixty-Six," "Scissors," and "Zebra"
For "F" and "V" sounds: Say "Five," "Fifty," "Valley," and "Favourite"
For "Th" sounds: Say "This," "That," "These," and "Those"

These sounds require precise tongue and lip coordination—practicing them builds muscle memory.

4. The Bite-and-Swallow Technique

If you feel your mouth filling with saliva or your dentures lifting while you speak:

Gently bite down on your back teeth
Swallow before you start speaking
This resets the saliva level and reseats the dentures securely on your gums

The American Dental Association recommends a similar technique: if your dentures slip out of place when you laugh, cough, or smile, bite down and swallow to reposition them.

5. Speak Slowly and Deliberately

This might feel unnatural at first, but it's essential. Speaking slowly allows your tongue and lips to adjust and form sounds more accurately.

If your denture teeth click together when you talk, speaking more slowly is the most effective fix. Clicking usually happens because you're opening your mouth too wide to speak. Slowing down keeps your jaw movements smaller and prevents the teeth from crashing together.

6. Practice in Front of a Mirror

Watching yourself speak can help you see how your mouth moves and adjust accordingly. The ADA specifically recommends repeating tricky words in front of a mirror.

Pay attention to:

Are your lips moving clearly?
Is your jaw opening too wide?
Can you see your dentures shifting?

7. Strengthen Your Facial Muscles

Your cheeks and lips play a vital role in controlling articulation and keeping your dentures in place. Try these exercises:

Tongue exercises: Move your tongue in circles inside your mouth, touch the roof of your mouth, or press it against your cheeks to build flexibility
Lip exercises: Pucker and stretch your lips to improve clarity of certain sounds
Smile practice: Speaking while smiling can help position dentures correctly and improve articulation

What to Do If Your Dentures Click

Denture clicking can be embarrassing, but it's fixable.

The cause: Clicking occurs when the upper and lower dentures collide. This usually happens because you're opening your mouth too wide to speak, or because your muscles haven't adjusted to the new height of your bite yet.

The fix:

Speak slower and at a slightly lower volume
This keeps your jaw movements smaller
Give it 2-3 weeks—your cheek and tongue muscles will naturally learn to stabilize the dentures

If clicking persists beyond a few weeks, our denture specialists at ABC Dental can evaluate your fit and make small adjustments that often resolve the issue.

What to Expect Over Time

Week 1-2: You'll notice the most significant changes during this period. Your speech may feel awkward, and you might have extra saliva. This is normal.

Week 3-4: Most patients notice significant improvement. Your mouth is adapting, speech is becoming clearer, and confidence is returning.

Week 4 and beyond: For most people, speech returns to normal within 15-30 days. Daily speaking exercises—reading aloud, repeating problematic words, practicing tongue twisters—naturally retrain your motor control.

When to See One of Our Denture Specialists

Most speech changes in the first 4 weeks are purely from adjustment. But if you experience any of the following, it's time to schedule a consultation at ABC Dental Chicago:

Persistent problems after 8 weeks of consistent practice
Specific sounds that never improve despite weeks of practice
Your dentures feel loose or shift significantly when you talk
You have persistent sore spots or discomfort

These persistent issues suggest anatomical factors that need modification rather than pure adaptation issues. Our experienced denture specialists at ABC Dental can make adjustments to improve your speech clarity and overall comfort.

Why Start Your Denture Journey Now?

If you're considering dentures or have already started the process, now is the time to act. Complex treatments like dentures require multiple visits—consultations, impressions, fittings, and final placements. If you wait until November or December, you may not have enough time to complete your treatment before your 2026 dental benefits expire on December 31st.

Starting your denture treatment in August or September gives you plenty of time to:

Complete all necessary appointments
Allow for adjustments and relines
Practice speaking and eating before the holidays
Fully utilize your 2026 insurance benefits

Don't wait until it's too late. Use your benefits while there's still time.