4 Oral Health Perks & Things You Couldn’t Do Without Teeth

When it comes to good oral health, healthy teeth are the first thing that comes to mind for many people. Brushing and flossing your pearly whites twice per day, a balanced diet, cutting out bad habits, and visiting your dentist every six months are key to protecting your smile from harm. Though teeth are a large part of a lovely smile, they aren’t the only thing your pearly whites contribute to. Continue reading to learn about four things that you wouldn’t be able to do if you didn’t have teeth.

#1: Producing Saliva and Preventing Drooling

One perk of teeth is that they help both produce saliva and keep it in your mouth. The salivary glands are where saliva comes from. Saliva keeps your mouth moist, which helps prevent dry mouth. It also helps you taste, chew, and swallow your food. Chewing stimulates the salivary glands, which means that your teeth help produce saliva. The teeth also prevent it from falling out of your mouth so you don’t drool involuntarily.

#2: Speak Clearly

Another way that teeth benefit you is that they help you speak clearly. Your tongue and lips work with your teeth to help you speak properly by restricting airflow in certain ways. People are still able to speak if they don’t have teeth, but this makes it more difficult. They often have trouble pronouncing certain words, which makes communication much trickier.

#3: Prevent Health Issues

People who don’t have any teeth are more likely to develop certain health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, and respiratory disease. This is because using only your gums to chew can cause you to develop gum disease or TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues. Additionally, since people who don’t have teeth have more trouble eating certain foods, this can result in nutrient deficiencies. The lack of proper vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in your diet can also cause complications, such as fatigue, pain, mood swings, and irregular heartbeat.

#4: Maintain A Healthy Jawbone

When you lose a tooth, the jawbone in that area may start to deteriorate. This is because chewing helps stimulate the jawbone, which keeps it healthy and strong. In just the first year after losing a tooth, patients may lose around 25% of their jawbone. This can also cause changes to their facial structure, additional tooth loss, an increased risk of fractures, and other oral health problems

Though healthy, white, and uniform teeth may help you feel confident, they do a lot more than that. So, make sure to take good care of your teeth to keep health problems at bay and continue laughing, smiling, and eating to your heart’s content!

About the Practice

Wethersfield Dental Group takes pride in helping you maintain your smile. Dr. Ukti Phadnis, Dr. Vance Harper, Dr. Javed, and their skilled team take a full-body approach to dentistry. Additionally, they take the time to learn about each patients’ oral health needs. This ensures that they will have the necessary knowledge to recommend the best ways to help them craft their ideal smiles. If you are ready to make an appointment or have any questions, you can visit their website or (860) 969-2281.