Most people take their front teeth for granted until something goes wrong, and they need to consider a partial denture. While we all know that our teeth help us to chew food, most of us don’t realise how important a role they play in our speech and general health too!
We all want our front teeth to look sparkly clean to show off our smile, but there is much more to those incisors than meets the eye. In this blog, we’ll help you brush up on that dental knowledge, so you can fully understand the purpose of those front teeth, what you can do to keep them in tip-top condition and why partial dentures for front teeth shouldn’t be overlooked.
What Do Your Front Teeth Actually Do?
Each type of tooth has its own unique and crucial functions. We all have eight incisors: four on top and four on the bottom of our mouths. As the teeth that are usually the first to emerge — and a big part of anyone’s smile — we are all pretty familiar with what they look like.
Without your incisors intact, not only would it be difficult to bite, but you’d probably struggle to speak too. If you’re on the fence about looking after your front teeth and even getting partial dentures for them if something happens to them, these reasons will change your mind.
They Make Cutting Food a Breeze
Like all teeth, the incisors have a particular function related to chewing and digestion. Your front teeth play an essential role in biting and breaking food into smaller pieces so that the process of chewing and grinding is more efficient. Consider how you’d tackle your favourite dish without your front teeth — would you really enjoy it as much if you had to struggle to chew it?
They Support Your Lips
Just by being present, your front teeth support your lips, significantly affecting your speech and pronunciation. Without your front teeth, you may struggle to pronounce certain words correctly because of the way the teeth, lips and tongue interact to create sounds. Certain sounds can only be made when the tongue makes contact with the incisors, so if there is damage to these teeth, that sound can’t be made correctly.
They Give You a Confident Smile
Unlike some of your other teeth, because the incisors are located at the front of your mouth, they are almost always exposed when you smile and therefore have an important aesthetic function. If you’ve damaged or lost your front teeth entirely, you might become reluctant to smile and lose confidence because other people will notice the damage to those pearly whites up front.
How to Take Care of Your Incisors & Front Teeth
Now that we’ve established how vital those incisors are, it’s time to look at what you can do to keep them in the best condition. You may be following some of these practices already, but they are worth reiterating in any case.
Practise Good Oral Hygiene Daily
This one might seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but it’s important. Practising good oral hygiene is important not only for your front teeth but for the rest of your teeth too. Make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly. Be careful not to apply excessive pressure on the teeth while brushing though, especially if you are using a more powerful electric toothbrush. This can do more damage than good. Then, use a good-quality toothpaste and rinse your mouth with mouthwash too!
Maintaining good oral hygiene will prevent tooth decay, the build-up of plaque, discolouration and gum disease. This helps ensure that you can keep your natural front teeth for the rest of your life.
Only Use Your Front Teeth for Biting Food
As tempting as it may be to use your teeth to open packets or bottles, that is not what they are there for. While your teeth may be strong, there is no need to put unnecessary pressure on them. So go and find the right tools for the job and use your teeth for what they were made for, namely biting into tasty food.
Wear a Mouthguard When Playing Contact Sports
Contact sports can be dangerous, and it is essential that you wear all the correct safety gear if you do partake in these types of activities. One item that people tend to overlook though when they think about safety gear is a mouthguard. These relatively small items are easy to forget, but they can make a world of difference when it comes to protecting your front teeth. You’ll be extremely grateful for it when it saves you from losing any teeth.
What to Do If You’re Missing Your Front Teeth
Preventing any damage to your incisors should always be the priority. However, if damage has already occurred through neglect or an accident and you find yourself missing any of your front teeth after an extraction, help is at hand.
Naturally, because of the aesthetic importance of one’s front teeth, people are often keen to get missing incisors addressed as soon as possible. Luckily, you can get partial dentures for your front teeth! A front tooth denture has your replacement tooth or teeth fitted onto a gum-coloured base, which you can pop in for eating and speaking like normal. The great thing about a front tooth partial denture is that they are designed to blend seamlessly with your existing gums and fill up the gaps in your teeth in a way that is hardly noticeable.
Partial dentures for your two front teeth, or even more teeth, can work wonders in terms of bringing back that confident smile and allowing you to speak correctly. What’s more, they are made to be robust and withstand the pressure that comes from biting into your food. Furthermore, the removable nature of partial dentures makes cleaning them a breeze!
Looking for Partial Denture Solutions in Perth?
If you think that a front tooth denture is the dental solution you’ve been looking for, contact Direct Denture Care. As experts in partial dentures, we understand that dental solutions for missing incisors depend upon the needs of each patient. With years of experience, our team is equipped to offer personalised solutions that are tailored to your needs. So, if you are looking to get fitted for partial dentures in Perth, look no further than Direct Denture Care!
