Speech issues are more common than you believe, and they can affect the quality of life. After all, you need to communicate effectively to build personal and professional relationships. It can even affect your confidence and self-esteem and make you hesitant. You will be surprised to know that speech problem isn’t always related to genetic or medical conditions. Even the position of the teeth can affect your speech.

In such instances, you will need orthodontic treatment instead of speech pathology to address the condition. Surprisingly, braces and some braces alternatives can be your savior for fixing the problem in the long haul. It is hard to believe because most patients have a tough time speaking after getting braces. But they can actually help to resolve the issue from the root. Let us explain how.

Correct a bad bite

Poor bite goes beyond causing trouble with chewing and affecting aesthetics. It can impact your speech too. Overbite is a common cause of whistling or lisps while speaking. The condition is characterized by the upper teeth overlapping the bottom teeth. Also, gaps in the teeth can be problematic as they cause air to escape when the tongue presses against the teeth while speaking, according to this expert dentist in Henderson NV. Thankfully, orthodontic treatment with braces can correct overbites and close the gaps between your teeth. You may experience initial discomfort after the treatment, but it is a small price to pay.

Positioning is the key

Apart from whistling and lisps, articulating consonants is another challenge for people struggling with speech issues. Malocclusions affect the way you speak consonants and sounds requiring special emphasis. For example, underbite, crossbite, open bite, and crowding can affect alveolar sounds (such as t, n, d). The positioning of teeth, therefore, is the key to the clarity of speech. You can rely on braces to connect the positioning of your teeth and get your consonants on track. Let your specialist identify the flaw and address it with the right treatment.

Space out to address slurring

Another common speech issue is slurring, which often happens when there isn’t enough space in the mouth. Your tongue requires room to move to form words correctly and maintain the pace of speaking. However, you can expect to struggle if it does not get space to move inside the mouth.  The issue can be resolved with early treatment at a young age, as the orthodontist can use braces to direct the jaw growth so that there is enough space in the mouth. The treatment option can even help adults who deal with slurring issues.

Braces can help with a majority of speech disorders because most of them happen due to the poor positioning of your teeth. It is vital to get help early because the sooner you start with the treatment, the better results you can expect. It not only improves your smile but helps correct your speech to make you more confident. The best place to start is seeing a qualified orthodontist who can give you an accurate diagnosis and get started with the corrective treatment right away. If you need a recommendation, you can seek oral solutions from the dentist in Nashville, so that you can share your new shining smile with the locals in what has been voted by Travel and Leisure as the friendliest city in America!