There used to be a time where you were expected to get your teeth pulled out. Really. Got tooth decay? Get your tooth pulled out. Achy tooth? Get your tooth pulled out. And this was especially rampant in the earlier centuries when dentures became a thing. You didn’t have to worry about tooth loss because it was easy to conceal. If that’s the case, what is the importance of teeth in our life? And why should you keep your healthy teeth? Does having real teeth make a difference for a healthy mouth?
Dental restorations are, without a doubt, invaluable in having a healthy mouth. Aside from giving patients pearly whites they could be proud of, the benefits of getting a dental restoration impacts their overall health as well. Having missing teeth can make it hard to chew and speak, so these restorations can help bring them back to their normal function.
But while dental restorations help bring one’s smile back up to par, they aren’t a complete substitute for healthy pearly whites. To see how one’s natural teeth fare versus dental restorations, we first need to know what is the importance of teeth in our life. Here are a few reasons why you should keep your pearly whites:
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It helps prevent a loss of bone density
When you lose a tooth, you’d think it’d be as straightforward as it sounds. As it turns out, there’s a lot you lose with that one single tooth. To illustrate this point, recall how your pearly whites anchor into your jawbone. Bones enjoy a little resistance as it engages those bone-building cells. The more growth your bones accumulate, the denser they become.
The same goes for your jawbone. Healthy teeth—barring those pesky wisdom teeth, that is—serve as the resistance that builds up your jawbone. When you lose teeth, then, your jawbone has fewer things to grow around. Because of this, you begin to lose bone density and shrink your jawbone. And this shrinkage can lead to a lot of health problems.
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You’re more likely to live longer
Aside from fortune-telling, how can you tell how long a person will live? Check how many healthy teeth they still have. The more teeth, the more years they tend to have in their life. Some might say it’s because a full set of teeth helps ease up your day-to-day activities. Others might say it’s because your oral health reflects your overall health. Whether it’s because your oral health is a predictor of overall health or vice-versa, a healthy mouth nonetheless gives you a longevity advantage. And this further highlights what is the importance of teeth in our life.
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The more healthy teeth you have, the less dental work you need
A healthy mouth isn’t just something that benefits you physically. It can also save a lot in your pockets.
When you have poor oral health, you’re more likely to need extensive dental work. And costly treatments, too—when left untreated, a bit of tooth decay can lead to full-blown health problems. And these might need a little more than deep cleaning. With a healthy mouth, however, you get to skip the bills and live your life. Just goes to show what is the importance of teeth in our life.
