Public Speaking & Invisalign???

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#1 Post by **fabfemme** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 8:32 pm

Hello all...I'm a newbie here. I'll be picking up my first invisalign trays this Friday (yipeeeee!)

BUT, I'm a little nervous after reading some of the stuff on here.

I am a young professor at a state university in the US and am concerned about talking funny or looking strange in front of students and colleagues. I don't look that much older than many of my students and therefore have to work extra hard to get their respect...I'm also new in the department and trying to earn the respect of my colleagues as well, I figured braces wouldn't help me much so I chose Invisalign.

I'm mostly concerned about the public speaking, I teach about 2 hrs a day. Does anyone here take them out when they do public speaking? I really don't want to take them out that long each day.

Guess I'll just see how it goes???

I'll feel sooooooooo much better when these darn things arrive and I can stop "planning" what I'll do and just actually do it and get it over with.

#2 Post by **diehard** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:14 pm

Really u should plan a suitable time to put the first set in to get used to speaking ie during time off work or a long weekend or book a few days off next to a weekend so that would give u 4 days. Wearing invisalign is all about planning which includes when to eat and where to brush in toilets ect

#3 Post by gs » Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:40 pm

Once you get used to them (ie, get rid of the lisp factor, if it happens to you), speaking for two hours at a time should probably not be a problem.
I often have to give all day trainings or lead all day meetings, and I only start having issues after many hours (my mouth starts getting sluggish, it's probably because I'm speaking to much and not drinking enough). Once you've done it a few times you get over it, it's always a trial in the beginning because you're convinced everyone's looking at you. Most of the time people don't even notice it, it's because we ourselves are so conscious of it.

#4 Post by **fabfemme** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:32 pm

I found this article that might be of interest to some:

Motivation, acceptance and problems of invisalign patients.
J Orofac Orthop. 2005 Mar;66(2):162-73.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract

I found it pretty reassuring.