Speech problems have numerous causes, some of which stem from dental or oral problems. As such, the right dental treatments can improve speech. Below are examples of such oral and dental treatments.

Teeth Replacement

Missing teeth impair your ability to pronounce some words or letters. For example, your tongue works with your teeth to pronounce the letters s, t, and i. Thus, you might mispronounce some words without some teeth.

If you have such a problem, consider the following forms of teeth replacement to improve your speech:

• A dental implant treatment that involves an artificial tooth root that the dentist inserts and acts as an anchor for a false tooth
• A dental bridge that sits between two adjacent teeth that support it
• A removable denture that replaces multiple missing teeth

The number of missing teeth, the condition of remaining teeth, and the treatment budget determine the replacement you can get.

Teeth Alignment

Teeth alignment refers to the arrangement of teeth on the jawbone relative to each other. Misaligned teeth might stick out next to others, grow outwards, or grow inwards. Misalignment affects speech by affecting tongue placement and air movement in the mouth.

Orthodontic treatment can align your teeth and improve your speech. For example, you can get dental braces and retainers to move your teeth into their correct position and keep them there. Children can also get palate expanders to widen their upper jaw in case of misalignment due to overcrowding.

TMJ Disorder Treatment

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) joins the skull and jawbones. TMJ disorder is a group of joint problems that affect this joint, compromise its movements, and trigger pain. TMJ disorders lead to tense muscles that restrict mouth movements and cause speech difficulties.

TMJ disorder has multiple causes, so the treatment depends on the diagnosis. Treatment options include medication, physical therapy, the use of oral appliances, and surgery.

Oral Surgery

You may need oral surgery to correct speech problems that noninvasive oral or dental problems cannot resolve. For example, oral surgery can:

• Help with severe TMJD treatment
• Resolve cleft-lift palate, a congenital problem in which tissues of the roof of the mouth or upper lip do not join
• Resolve a tongue tie, an oral condition in which a thick tissue connects the tongue's bottom to the mouth's floor and restricts the tongue's range of motion

Your dentist will evaluate and discuss your options before prescribing a treatment.

Dental problems require treatment even if they don't connect to speech issues. You may need treatment from multiple professionals to resolve your speech issue, depending on its severity and cause. For example, your dentist may work with a speech-language pathologist. 

For more info, contact a local dentist.