Oral Health & Speech Development: How Dental Health Impacts Communication in Diverse Populations

Together, we will explore:

  • How missing teeth, malocclusion, or cleft palate can affect articulation.

  • How dental neglect (often tied to socioeconomic or cultural barriers) can delay speech/language development.

  • How CSD professionals (SLPs, audiologists) and dental professionals can collaborate.

Dental Structure and the Science of Speech

Children all over the world have difficulties communicating clearly; not because of language delay, but because of the physical anatomy of their mouths. The oral health and speech development of a child are connected, and when dental issues go untreated, especially in children coming from low-income communities, the effects can go farther than just cosmetic insecurity. Studies have shown that oral conditions like missing teeth, malocclusion, or cleft palate directly impact proper speech articulation. For example, Birol and Ünal Logacev (2024) discovered that kids with cleft lip and palate can experience hypernasality, which can cause abnormal resonance in a voice, because of too much air coming through the nose during speech. Additionally, they can experience weak articulation and nasal airflow problems because the structural gap between the oral and nasal cavities disrupts speech quality (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association). Comparably, missing teeth or Class III malocclusion alter tongue placement and airflow, so a lisping sound distortion when someone is trying to sound out certain letters, like /s/, /t/, or /d/, can occur. These complications can make speech sound unclear, and delay literacy and academic progression if left untreated.

 

Research also shows that socioeconomic status greatly impacts access to dental care. Jafari et al. (2024) found that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to have more severe malocclusion and poor oral hygiene, which are conditions that normally go unfixed due to families lack of resources or lack of oral health education. This inequality can create a cycle where children not only suffer from dental pain or low self-confidence, but also from reduced communication and participation in social environments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Orthodontic and prosthetic interventions, such as braces and palate-repair surgeries, can dramatically improve speech by restoring correct alignment of the upper and lower arches and airflow. Early intervention, collaboration between dental providers, speech-language pathologists, and community dental programs are needed to make sure every kid, regardless of their background, has the chance to speak clearly and confidently, and to be happy with their smile.

 

Peer-Reviewed Sources

Jafari, Amir Khashayar, et al. “Effect of Malocclusion Severity on Oral Health and Its Correlation with Socioeconomical Status in Iranian Adolescents.” BMC Oral Health, vol. 24, no. 1, 1301, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-05069-w.

 

Birol, Namık, Ünal Logacev, Özlem. "Relationship between Anatomical and Physiological Problems with Speech Problems in Turkish-Speaking Children with Cleft Lip and Palate." The Turkish Journal of Ear Nose and Throat, vol. 34, no. 4, 2024, pp. 115-123. https://doi.org/10.26650/Tr-ENT.2024.1598499 

 

Non-Peer Reviewed Sources:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Cleft Lip and Palate. ASHA, https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/cleft-lip-and-palate/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Health Disparities in Oral Health.” CDC, 15 May 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/health-equity/index.html

 

In this video, Dr. LaViola discusses how poor dental health can impact speech clarity and articulation. He also discusses the importance of dental care, and interventions available to preserve oral function and high-quality speech. 

This video explains the relationship between socioeconomic status and access to dental care, especially for children and underserved populations. It explains the need for policies and programs that expand dental access in low-income communities to reduce health disparities. 

Bridging the Gap: Socioeconomic Barriers to Oral Health and Language Development

Socioeconomic status plays one of the strongest roles in shaping both oral health and language development during childhood. Families living in poverty face overlapping challenges that hinder a child’s physical, cognitive, and linguistic growth long before school begins. Oral health serves as both a cause and a symptom of broader inequality.

 

Children from lower-income households are more likely to experience dental decay, untreated cavities, and malocclusion due to limited access to affordable care. Many people rely on public insurance that excludes orthodontic or specialized treatment, leaving preventable conditions untreated. Lower-income populations consistently report poorer oral health–related quality of life than higher-income groups, reinforcing the link between socioeconomic staus and dental wellbeing (Knorst et al.). Underserved communities often lack pediatric dentists and speech-language pathologists, making care inaccessible without transportation or paid leave.

 

Research on language recovery in low-income stroke survivors (Schneider et al., 2022) shows how socioeconomic inequality limits language ability at both neurological and functional levels. Just like how poor dental access can alter articulation, limited educational opportunity damages the neural and cognitive systems for clear speech.

 

These barriers extend to the elderly as well. Baniasadi et al. (2021) found that low education, income, and health literacy strongly predict poor oral health outcomes among the elderly. Their meta-analysis revealed that individuals with lower education were 1.23 times more likely to experience worse oral health. Denture dependence, depression, and general health issues further compound these effects, creating a cycle where oral disease causes both physical pain and social isolation.

 

Oral health disparities directly affect communication and learning. Pain, missing teeth, or chronic infections make speaking difficult, while self-consciousness about appearance can suppress classroom participation and confidence. Parental education and oral health literacy deepen these divides—caregivers unaware of preventive routines, fluoride use, or early orthodontic care often wait until problems become severe. In contrast, higher-income families benefit from consistent care and early interventions that ensure strong speech and dental outcomes.

 

Bridging these gaps requires systemic change: expanding community-based clinics, integrating oral health education in early childhood programs, and fostering collaboration between schools, speech therapists, and dental providers. Recognizing oral health as a social determinant of language and cognition reframes it not as an aesthetic privilege, but as a fundamental right essential to communication, confidence, and equal opportunity.

 

Peer-Reviewed Sources

Schneider, Fernanda, et al. “Macrostructural Aspects in Oral Narratives in Brazilian Portuguese by Left and Right Hemisphere Stroke Patients With Low Education and Low Socioeconomic Status.” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 31, no. 3, 2022, pp. 1319–37, https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00205.

 

Knorst JK, Sfreddo CS, de F. Meira G, Zanatta FB, Vettore MV, Ardenghi TM. Socioeconomic status and oral health-related quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2021; 49: 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12616

 

Baniasadi, Kamal, et al. “The Association of Oral Health Status and Socio‐economic Determinants with Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life among the Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis.” International Journal of Dental Hygiene, vol. 19, no. 2, 2021, pp. 153–65, https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12489.

 

This video explores how disparities in dental health, caused by socioeconomic factors, can affect broader physical and social well-being, emphasizing that untreated oral diseases in low-income communities isn’t only a cosmetic issue but impacts the health of the whole body.

This video explains how children’s socioeconomic status influences early language development, highlighting that limited access to enriching language environments, fewer books, and less conversational interaction can slow vocabulary growth and speech fluency.

Stronger Together: Connecting Oral Care and Communication Health

A person's oral health and their ability to speak are aspects of life that shape someone's self-confidence, identity, and how they participate in society. When these aspects work together, it is shown that improving one has the power to strengthen the other. Taking care of your mouth helps you speak more clearly, and when you can communicate with confidence, it can help you fit in socially, and opens up windows of opportunity for success down the road (American Dental Association, 2024). This relationship is very important, especially in culturally diverse regions such as Tampa Bay, where speech plays a necessary part in understanding others in multilingual environments and social expectations. 

 

Cultural beliefs and access issues can shape how families understand and prioritize oral care. For example, some cultures do not place important on the baby teeth, having the mentality they are impermanent and not important, even though in reality, it is known that early decay can influence adult teeth and long-term speech development (Colgate Care Center, 2023). Some people may choose to not see the dentist and delay care because of fear, language barriers, or negative past experiences in healthcare. According to the CDC, it is reported that kids from minority and low-income families have higher rates of untreated dental disease, which can impact a person's articulation and participation in society (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). 

 

By combining oral health and communication services, we can create a better, more holistic and culturally aware approach to provide care. For example, Speech-Language pathologists can identify dental concerns that may add to lisping and distortions in speech, and work together with dental providers who have the ability to recognize when a child's speech may require a referral to the Speech-Language pathologist! By setting up community-based opportunities like mobile dental clinics or school-based screenings, socioeconomic and cultural barriers can be broken down by being able to work with families on the level of care they need. 

 

If Tampa Bay can recognize that having good oral health and being able to communicate effectively are both very important for the overall wellness of a person, systems could be created that care for the whole person, not just for how their smile aesthetically looks, helping them succeed in various social and cultural spaces!

 

Non-Peer Reviewed Sources:

American Dental Association. MouthHealthy: Oral Health Topics. 2024, https://www.mouthhealthy.org 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral Health: Key Facts. 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth 

Colgate Oral Care Center. How Oral Health Affects Speech. 2023, https://www.colgate.com 

This video shows how maintaining oral hygiene and preventing dental disease is very important, which directly supports clearer speech and stronger communication. It reinforces the idea that when communities can prioritize oral care, they also promote confidence, social participation, and healthy communication skills.

This animated video explains how oral health affects overall well-being, including daily functions like speaking and interacting with others. It shows that caring for the mouth isn’t just about making your teeth look aesthetically pretty, it also strengthens communication, social engagement, and long-term health.