Does a dental bridge change how I speak?

When you first get your new bridge, it may affect your speech. However, in the long run a dental bridge not only improves your smile, it can also help you chew and speak.

Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, a bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth and literally “bridges” the gap where one or more teeth used to be. Bridges can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and are attached to surrounding teeth for support. Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, a fixed bridge can only be removed by a dentist.

A dental bridge may affect your speech, but the impairment is usually temporary. The dental bridge fits over several teeth with a tiny gap over the gum where the tooth was extracted. The bridge creates a different air flow in the mouth until the gum has fully healed.

If you find it difficult to speak properly, try repeating words that you're having trouble enunciating to learn to say them more clearly. You may have a slight lisp after getting a dental bridge, but the lisp usually resolves as the gum heals and the air space is closed.