29 Aug Teeth Are Important for More Than Just Eating
Teeth may look like bones, but they are not actually part of your skeleton. Teeth belong to the ectodermal organs, along with your skin, hair, and sweat glands. And even though your teeth are harder than bones, taking care of them should be at the top of your to-do list.
You use your teeth more often than you might realize—besides meals and snacks, you also use them every time you speak or smile.
Your dental health is also important for your whole body. Pain from cavities in your teeth can keep you from eating healthy foods. Gum disease can spread infections to other parts of your body. And missing or damaged teeth can affect your self confidence.
Three Reasons Why Your Teeth Are So Important
1: Chewing Is the First Step in Good Digestion
Our teeth are designed to aid in digestion. With four different styles of teeth, we can cut, grind, and smash our food into tiny, digestible bits. This helps us swallow our food and makes it easier for our stomachs to break food down. Chewing also stimulates saliva, which helps to pre-digest our food.
2: Your Teeth Help You Make Sounds
When we speak, we use every part of our mouths, even our teeth! When pronouncing English sounds like TH, V, or F, your tongue or lips must be touching your teeth. Common speech problems like lisps or mispronunciation can be made worse or improved by our teeth.
Missing teeth and shifting teeth can cause sounds to come out differently. If you have crooked teeth or an abnormal bite, Invisalign or braces can help restore normal speech. And if you have missing teeth, a bridge or dental implants can help correct speech problems.
3: Your Teeth Help You Make Facial Expressions
Our teeth also help us smile and make other facial expressions. If you have ever seen someone who is missing their teeth, it might look like they are frowning. That’s because our teeth help support our lips, facial muscles, and skin. Without teeth, our faces can sag or change shape, but dentures or implants can restore a person’s normal appearance.
Keep Your Teeth Healthy with Excellent Dental Care
Everyone needs a solid oral care routine that includes daily brushing and flossing. It’s also important to start good habits in children early on, so they can keep their smiles pearly-white for years to come. By building a strong oral health routine and visiting your dentist twice a year, you can keep your mouth healthy and your teeth strong.
At Hicks Dental Group, we not only have the best dentists and staff in the area, we also have the experience to give you the smile of your dreams. Besides keeping your teeth healthy, we can also provide Invisalign, dental implants, whitening, and many other treatments to restore your smile. Contact us today to make an appointment.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (8/28/23). Photo by saeed karimi on Unsplash.