How Orthodontic Treatment Can Improve Speech and Pronunciation

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Michael Clemente, D.M.D. on September 14, 2026

Misaligned teeth and jaws can genuinely affect how clearly a person speaks, and straightening that misalignment through orthodontic treatment often improves pronunciation, airflow, and tongue placement along with the smile. Speech and tooth position are more connected than most people realize, since the tongue and lips depend on a stable, well-aligned bite to form sounds correctly.

At Clemente Orthodontics, our team treats patients throughout New York and New Jersey with braces and Invisalign®, and many of them come to us dealing with more than a crowded smile. Correcting the underlying bite issue is often the missing piece for patients who have struggled with unclear speech even after years of speech therapy on its own.

What Is the Connection Between Teeth Alignment and Speech?

The way your teeth and jaw are positioned plays a significant role in how you form sounds and articulate words. Proper speech relies on a balanced relationship between the tongue, lips, and teeth. When teeth are misaligned, whether due to an overbite, underbite, open bite, or crowding, it can interfere with the natural placement of the tongue and the airflow needed for clear pronunciation. Research shows that children with speech disorders are more than twice as likely to have misaligned teeth compared to children with typical speech development.

Certain speech impediments, like lisps or difficulty pronouncing “s,” “th,” or “f” sounds, often stem from the way the tongue interacts with the teeth. A gap between the front teeth, known as a diastema, may let air escape improperly and create a whistling sound. An overbite can make certain consonants harder to pronounce because the upper teeth overlap too much and limit tongue movement.

Orthodontic treatment corrects these misalignments and creates a more functional structure for speech. Braces and Invisalign® gradually shift the teeth into better positions, which allows the tongue to move more freely and naturally as treatment progresses.

Common Speech Issues Related to Malocclusion

When teeth do not fit together properly, certain sounds can become harder to pronounce, which sometimes leads to frustration or self-consciousness when speaking. Even small misalignments can affect how the tongue, lips, and airflow work together to form words. Some of the most common speech challenges linked to malocclusion include:

• Lisps: A gap between the front teeth or an open bite can prevent the tongue from making proper contact, making it difficult to pronounce “s” and “z” sounds clearly.
• Whistling sounds: Misaligned teeth or spacing issues can cause excess airflow, creating a whistling effect on words with “s” or “sh” sounds.
• Muffled or slurred speech: Overcrowded teeth or a deep overbite can restrict tongue movement, making words sound unclear.
• Difficulty with “th” and “f” sounds: An underbite, where the lower teeth sit in front of the upper teeth, can make it harder to position the tongue and lips correctly.

Beyond making speech clearer, correcting misalignment can ease the self-consciousness that often comes with these issues. Since pronunciation depends on precise tongue and lip placement, straightening the teeth can improve both articulation and confidence when speaking.

What to Expect During Your Adjustment Period

It is common, and completely normal, to notice a temporary change in speech during the first one to two weeks after getting braces or starting Invisalign®. New brackets, wires, or aligner trays take up space the tongue was not previously working around, which can create a brief lisp or a slight change in how certain words sound.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, this adjustment period typically resolves on its own as the tongue and lips adapt to the new appliance. A few habits can help speed up that adjustment:

• Practice reading aloud: Reading a page or two out loud each day helps the tongue relearn where to sit for different sounds.
• Speak slowly at first: Slowing down gives the tongue and lips more time to find the correct position before moving to the next sound.
• Expect extra saliva at first: New appliances can temporarily increase saliva production, which is a normal response that settles down within a week or two.

Patients wearing Invisalign® sometimes notice the adjustment feels slightly different with each new set of aligners, since each tray shifts teeth in small increments. This is usually most noticeable in the first day or two after switching trays and fades quickly as the mouth adapts. If a speech change lasts longer than two to three weeks or seems to be getting worse instead of better, it is worth mentioning at your next appointment. In most cases, a small wire or tray adjustment resolves the issue, and it typically does not signal a problem with your treatment plan.

When to Involve a Speech-Language Pathologist

Orthodontic treatment and speech therapy are not an either-or decision. For children with an existing speech disorder tied to tongue thrust, an open bite, or another structural issue, the most effective approach is often a coordinated one between an orthodontist and a speech-language pathologist. Correcting the bite gives the tongue a better foundation to work from, while speech therapy helps retrain the muscle patterns and habits built up around the old alignment.

Parents wondering whether to start with speech therapy or orthodontic treatment first do not need to choose between the two. In many cases, an evaluation with both providers early on, especially during the years when early orthodontic treatment is most effective, leads to the best long-term outcome for a child’s speech and bite together.

How Clemente Orthodontics Approaches Speech-Related Concerns

Our team has been treating patients across generations, and we take the time to listen when speech clarity is part of what brought a patient in for a consultation, not just the appearance of their smile. Every treatment plan is built around the individual case, so a patient dealing with a lisp tied to an open bite gets a different approach than one dealing with crowding alone. You can learn more about the doctors who build these treatment plans on our meet the doctors page.

If speech clarity has been a source of frustration for you or your child, our team can walk through whether orthodontic treatment, speech therapy, or a combination of both makes the most sense. Patients throughout New City, Woodcliff Lake, and Ridgewood can reach out through our contact form to schedule a consultation and talk through the options in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions About Orthodontic Treatment and Speech