There are several reasons why someone might lose a tooth. It can happen due to an accident, poor dental hygiene, or age. When it happens, you may not necessarily be in a situation to get the problem fixed with implants or dentures. However, missing teeth are bad for you. Here are four consequences of missing teeth.

Missing teeth are unappealing

Let’s be honest – missing teeth look bad. They are not aesthetically pleasing, and people want to hide it. It stands out any time you smile, so you won’t be smiling nearly as much. This can lead to social problems. It can lead to teasing and low self-esteem, too.

You may not be able to eat certain foods

You need your teeth to chew your food. Certain foods will be more difficult if you are missing teeth than others. Some difficult foods to chew when missing teeth include:

Corn on the cob
Steak
Popcorn
Raw carrots
Nuts

If you are missing teeth, these foods can get stuck in the spaces or you might not be able to chew. That means you could choke on your food. You may not be able to eat those foods at all.

Impaired speech

The teeth in our mouth have more functions than you may realize. One of the things that teeth do is help you enunciate your words correctly. You may notice people with missing teeth slurring their words or speaking with a lisp. It makes it difficult to communicate effectively. This can have additional repercussions if you can’t communicate with your professional and personal relationships.

Damage your other teeth

One of the main consequences of missing teeth is that they cause problems for your other teeth. The other teeth may start to grow in a little differently, making them crooked. It can also cause the other teeth to damage the gums. This will make your gums inflamed. With weak gums, you may even lose more teeth, only adding to the problems you already had.

Missing teeth are not the end of the world. If you have a missing tooth (or teeth), there are options. Two of the most common options are dentures and implants. Talk to your local dentist at Mountain View Dental to learn which option is the best for you.

Drinking lots of water is extremely beneficial to your overall health, but one of the most overlooked benefits is improved oral health. Staying hydrated prevents you from having a dry mouth, which is one of the leading causes of tooth decay. Drinking water also cleans the mouth and keeps it from being exposed to unnecessary sugars. Despite there being so many health benefits, most people still do not drink enough water daily. Here are four of the easiest ways to increase water intake.

Carry a Reusable Water Bottle

A great way to consume more water is to always have access to the important beverage. This is why it is highly recommended to carry a refillable water bottle with you wherever you go. Carrying the bottle will remind you to drink when your mouth starts to get a little dry. This bottle can also be refilled almost anywhere when it starts to get a little low. Keeping the bottle full eliminates the temptation of grabbing a soda or cup of coffee when you want a quick drink.

Add Flavoring to Water

A lot of people do not like to drink water because it does not have any flavor. Luckily, this small issue is extremely easy to fix. There are several different types of zero-calorie flavor packets that can be mixed directly into your water. These packets come in virtually every flavor, so there is guaranteed to be one that you enjoy. You can also just add a small piece of fruit directly to your water to improve the taste. Citrus fruits tend to work best for this option.

Use a Tracking App

To stay properly hydrated, you need to drink water before you start to feel thirsty. Unfortunately, it is often hard to think about drinking throughout a busy workday. This is where your smartphone comes in handy. Several different health apps will send a reminder to your phone periodically throughout the day to remind you to drink water. Since these reminders make it impossible to forget about drinking, this is one of the easiest ways to increase water intake.

Eat Foods Filled With Water

While the vast majority of your water intake will come from actual drinking, you can also add water to your body by eating the right foods. Several foods are filled with water. Eating these foods regularly is a great way to supplement your water consumption. A few of these important water-rich foods include soup, celery, watermelon, and tomatoes.

If you have any questions regarding water’s importance in maintaining a beautiful smile, then do not hesitate to call Mountain View Dental. In addition to answering your questions, we also look forward to handling all of your dental needs in our comfortable and professional office.

People will sometimes chip their teeth because they make contact with something, chew on something hard, or it happens in an accident. These chips can be worrisome to people since they don’t want the chips to cause more problems. If you don’t know what to do when you chip a tooth, then you should think over these points.

Look At the Chip

First and foremost, you should examine the chip in your tooth to see how it looks. How much of your tooth did it knock off? Is it a small or large chip? Where did you chip your tooth, and can others see it? This way, you can get a general idea of your chip’s condition so you can see how much damage occurred.

As you examine the tooth, you should make sure that you pay attention to how much it sticks out. After all, most people won’t notice small chips, and they may not be something to worry about cosmetically. On top of this, all teeth have an enamel layer over them, so you may have only chipped the layer and not the tooth itself.

See If It Affects You

A chip in your tooth can cause discomfort depending on the size of it, so you should see if the chip itself affects you. Do you feel constant pain in your tooth? Is the tooth now sensitive to cold foods or other things that you eat? Are you unable to eat properly because of the chip?

Simple questions like these will allow you to notice if the chip is severe or not. Pain and sensitivity aren’t good signs, so you should use these as red flags if you start to have these problems after you get a chip. Keep an eye on it and continue to see how it affects you.

Determine If It’s an Emergency

After you look at the chip and determine if it affects you, you can then determine if it’s a dental emergency. If it’s going to cause you serious discomfort, problems, or damages, then you should contact your dentist about the situation. This will allow you to address the problem with your chip as soon as possible to help you find a solution.

You may not know what to do when you chip a tooth, but you should always talk with your dentist about it eventually. If it’s not an emergency or issue, then you can talk with your dentist about it during your next check-up. After all, it doesn’t hurt to have a professional look at it during a routine appointment.

Conclusion

These tips will help you to check your chipped tooth and determine if you need to get it fixed. If it is a problem, then you should get in contact with Mountain View Dental in Pleasant View, UT. Give them a call so you can set up an appointment or ask questions to get some help.

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