Introduction
A smile is so much more than just its aesthetics. Our smiles are an instant mood booster releasing cortisol and endorphins that have many health benefits like increased endurance and reduced blood pressure. Smiling can reduce stress and help our heart health but with today’s hyper-awareness of appearance thanks predominantly to social media we are very conscious and aware of ourselves. Teeth tend to be one of the first things that are noticed which affect how we smile or how frequently. The cycle then continues as we lose out on the benefits of smiling which would, unfortunately, impact our confidence and wellness.
Altogether when our teeth are not in top condition both health and appearance wise there are numerous ways that it affects our everyday lives when it comes to confidence and wellness.
Affects your appearance
Healthy teeth help our faces look fuller and give our cheeks more structure, supporting the length and symmetry of our jawbones. When teeth have gaps, are crowded or overlapping or when we have missing teeth it causes cheeks to sink and look hollow. It also causes lips to look thinner while propelling the jaw forwards. Good jaw and teeth health help your face look youthful for longer as it retains its shape. Also, natural white teeth are a sign of youth so maintaining good oral hygiene habits will keep your teeth from looking stained and discoloured.
You can set a dental appointment to have your teeth professionally cleaned once in a while which not only keeps teeth white but also helps avoid tooth decay as it boosts your oral hygiene.
Boost confidence
Stained or missing teeth can take a serious toll on our confidence because we feel uncomfortable with smiling or laughing in public. Missing or bad teeth significantly alter our appearance, and we tend to keep our lips closed to hide these oral defects. Not smiling causes our mood to drop while making us seem sullen, unfriendly and moody in company which affects our social lives. Having white teeth helps boost our confidence because we can smile without being self-conscious. Good dental health will help you be a more friendly and approachable person as you feel confident with your smile.
Improves self-esteem
Being unhappy or insecure with your dental appearance leads to low self-esteem as you feel conscious about your smile and overall appearance. When you smile you give out a feeling of positivity making people around you feel comfortable. Beyond vanity, poor oral health affects your self-esteem as a whole because you do not feel in the best condition, wellness-wise. Luckily these days you can take orthodontic action towards rectifying bad teeth which will help you regain self-esteem in your smile and appearance.
Speech and pronunciation
Teeth play a vital role in how we speak and in how we enunciate or pronounce words. We speak using lips, tongue and teeth to form words by controlling airflow. The tongue touches the teeth or the roof of the mouth to create different sounds. Teeth are needed to make the sounds ‘th’, ‘z’, ‘f’, ‘v’ and ‘s’. Crooked teeth, overbite, overcrowding and gapped teeth all cause a variety of problems when we speak. For instance, it can cause lisping, whistling sounds and generally distort your speech patterns. This is a definite hindrance as it makes it difficult sometimes for people to understand you properly.
Facial Structure
When we lose teeth due to lack of dental care, sickness or injury, it causes our jaws to lose bone mass over a period of time. The lack of teeth means it no longer gets the necessary stimulation causing it to disintegrate in a process known as resorption. Once you lose a tooth it facilitates further bone and tooth loss. It also causes the remaining teeth to shift into the created gap. Tooth decay or plaque build up causes advanced gum disease which also affects the jawbone. Getting dental implants will stop your teeth from moving around and help your jawbone retain its density, ensuring your facial structure is not affected.
Improved oral hygiene
Poor oral health can cause us to have bad teeth which lead to tooth decay and discolouration. Germs and plaque build-up causes halitosis or bad breath which can put a real dampener on your social life. Poor oral health impacts our overall health and even leads to diabetes and heart disease. Our mouths are filled with bacteria which our immune systems have to fight off to prevent infections such as gum disease, tooth infections and tooth decay. Maintaining good dental care with daily hygiene routines and regular check-ups for professional cleaning and seeking immediate treatment when a dental issue arises will all help improve your oral hygiene. Having good dental health is a great way to start your overall wellness journey.
Helps with sleep
Sorting out issues such as teeth grinding will go a long way to you achieving uninterrupted sleep while of course being immensely beneficial to your teeth. Grinding your teeth also affects your tooth enamel and increases the risk of cavities and tooth decay.
Visit your dentist at least twice a year because most of your dental issues that cause sleep issues can be identified early and rectified. You can ask your dentist specialists about protective dental gear that will prevent teeth grinding. Dental therapy can also help treat sleep apnoea.
Dry mouth can result from improper sleep. To prevent dry mouth and to keep your mouth clean floss daily and use mouthwash before bed to keep plaque build-up at bay.
Crooked teeth, open bite, gapped teeth and misaligned teeth can all affect our biting and chewing which affects the quality of our eating experience. With simple dental procedures such as braces, you can enjoy straighter teeth that will be comfortable and make simple pleasures such as eating and speaking easier.
Our teeth have a huge impact on our confidence, wellness and quality of life and we should take care to look after them as they do so much for us. Regain your confidence and wellbeing by maintaining good oral hygiene habits.
