3 Reasons to keep your teeth healthy for life

Teeth are an incredible part of the human body, and they do much more than providing you a smile. By maintaining excellent oral health, we hope you enjoy your teeth for life. There are 32 permanent teeth that serve different functions in the mouth.

Incisors: 8 teeth located in the front of your mouth for cutting food.

Canines: 4 teeth located at the corners of the mouth for tearing and breaking food apart.

Premolars: 8 teeth behind the canines that have 2 points, allowing them to grind and crush food.

Molars: 8 teeth located in the very back that are the largest and strongest with many ridges. These are used to grind and shred food before it is swallowed.

Wisdom Teeth: 4 teeth, located at the very back of the mouth. These are typically removed due to overcrowding. Although there are usually 4 wisdom teeth, the exact number varies from person to person.

Below are 3 reasons to keep your teeth for life

1. Maintain Facial Bone Structure. Natural teeth or an implant in your jawbone helps stimulate bone growth through chewing and biting. When missing teeth are left untreated, the bone no longer receives these stimulations, causing the bone to shrink or resorb. The teeth maintain the jawbone structure, thus giving the structure and appearance to your face. With missing teeth, the jawbone starts to create a gaunt, sunken appearance.
2. Pronounce Words. Your teeth, tongue, and lips all work together to form and enunciate words clearly. Many sounds (c, f, j, l, s, v) require the placement of either the lip, tongue, or opposing teeth to make the appropriate sound. When missing teeth, you are at risk for mispronunciations and lisping. Try saying “think” or “this”. Notice how the parts of your mouth work together to pronounce the word.
3. Maintain Nutritional Health. Your teeth break food down small enough for it to be easily swallowed. With the ability to chew food, you can enjoy more fibrous food like carrots and apples. Lacking teeth could cause potential nutrient deficiencies, as you would need to move to a softer diet, that may not be as nutritious.