The phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” is cliché, but true in some cases. Missing teeth, for example, can trigger more complications than you might think. Everyone knows about their role in breaking down food – and that’s most likely it. It’s time to give credit where credit is due and explore your teeth’s lesser-known uses. You’ll see why preventative dental care is so important!
Teeth and Talking: A Linguistics Crash-Course
Your lips and tongue are important for forming words, but your teeth help you speak too. Many sounds require your lips and tongue to interact with your teeth. In American English, you can feel this most while making the t, th, and v sounds. Life without your teeth would involve a lot more lisping and more conscious enunciating just to make clear sounds!
Encouraging Your Jawbone to Stay Put
Something interesting about jawbones is that if they don’t receive stimulation, they recede. You see, normally, teeth are rooted to your jawbone – when you chew, the pressure sends signals through your bone and to your brain. These signals let your biology know that your jawbone is being put to good use and requires nutrients. No teeth, no signals. Your body instead sends nutrients to “more necessary” places, resulting in jawbone deterioration. That’s why it’s important to replace dental gaps as soon as possible.
Shielding Everyone (And Yourself) from Spit
Ever think about how your saliva stays in your mouth? You don’t really have to control anything to keep it there most of the time, do you? That’s because your teeth are keeping it at bay. Without them, your soft lips would have a much harder time keeping spit inside your mouth. Things would certainly be much…stickier.
All that goes to show that your teeth are super useful tools! Besides helping you enjoy savory delights and giving you something to show off for photos, they’re doing their part to help you communicate, retain a defined facial structure, and prevent saliva from escaping.
To reap those benefits for as long as possible, it’s important to take care of your pearly whites. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States, and yet it can often be avoided by brushing twice daily, flossing once per day, and visiting your dentist for biannual cleanings. Just ask the professionals – they’ll be the first to tell you all about it!
About the Practice
At Family Dental Center of East Texas, we can help patients of all ages take good care of their precious pearly whites! Our friendly team of dental professionals will give you and your teeth VIP treatment, which means doing our best to make you feel comfortable and confident during your treatment. To schedule an appointment with one of our highly qualified dentists, call 936-427-9070 or visit our website to submit a request online.