If you're not happy with the alignment of your teeth, visiting a dentist who specializes in Invisalign can be the first step toward obtaining a smile that brightens the room. Invisalign involves the use of clear "aligners" that you'll wear over your teeth to gently make them straighter. Many people view Invisalign as a better option over traditional braces because the aligners are nearly invisible, especially from afar. As you get accustomed to wearing the aligners, it's important to know some things about some speech-related issues that you'll encounter as a result of your Invisalign aligners.

Your Voice May Sound A Little Different

One of the biggest things that you'll notice once you begin to wear Invisalign aligners is that your voice sounds a little different. The aligners can affect peoples' speech to different degrees. There are some Invisalign patients who will sound almost exactly the same whether they're wearing aligners or not, while others will experience changes in how they enunciate certain words and sounds. For example, you might notice that your "S" sounds seem a little more pronounced.

Voice Changes Won't Last

It's understandable if you feel a little concerned about the change in your voice once you begin to wear your Invisalign aligners, but you shouldn't panic. These changes won't last for very long, and certainly aren't anything that you'll have to worry about over the time that you have Invisalign. Peoples' speech changes back to how it originally was at different speeds, but you'll likely realize that one day, your voice sounds just as it did before you started to wear your aligners.

You Can Remove Your Aligners For Short Periods Of Speaking

If you have any type of speaking engagement scheduled for soon after you begin to wear your Invisalign aligners, you might feel a little anxious about how you might sound. For example, maybe you're scheduled to give an address during a big business meeting a short time after you start your Invisalign treatment. There's no need for you to panic. All you'll need to do is slip your aligners out of your mouth in advance of the meeting — keeping them safe in their case in your pocket or purse — and then give your speech. Following the speech, you can discreetly put the aligners back into your mouth. Your dentist will likely indicate how many hours a day you can go without wearing the aligners, so plan accordingly if you don't want them in your mouth while you're speaking.