In the Army there is a mantra to just do your job. Every soldier has a job, and every job is important to the function of the whole. When one job isn't done it affects the whole unit. The mouth is somewhat similar. You see, every tooth has a job. This is why it is important for the oral cavity's health to have all of the teeth. Just like in the army, when one person doesn't do their job correctly, it puts more pressure on the rest of the unit, when a tooth is missing, it makes the other teeth have to work harder.
The Jobs of Your Teeth
The front teeth are incisors, and it is their job to take bites of food. Think about how you eat an apple. It's the front teeth that sink into the fruit to take a bite.
The bicuspids also help to cut into food and take bites as well. The canines are the teeth that help position the food to stay in place so it can be chewed. I know in vampire lore it's the canines that bite into the skin, but unless you have vampire fangs that just doesn't happen.
Finally, the pre-molars and molars are the teeth that chew the food, slowly grinding it into manageable pieces to get it ready to be swallowed and digested. Realizing how each tooth has a job, it is easy to understand how people who have lost teeth can struggle to chew their food.
In Conclusion
All of our teeth working in concert with one another is like a well-oiled machine, a team working at the highest level. Every tooth has a job, and when done well, makes eating and chewing easy. If a tooth is lost, it makes it harder to chew. It is important to take care of your teeth by brushing and flossing. We don't want to lose a member of the team, do we?
Dental Blog | Dentist Plano, TX | McDonald DDS Our team at McDonald DDS has provided this educational blog as a resource to our patients and the community. Click here to learn more about procedures, home care and more! McDonald DDS, 5800 Coit Rd, #100, Plano, TX 75023; (469) 649-0699; mcdonalddds.com; 3/25/2023; Related Terms: dentist Plano Tx;
In the Army there is a mantra to just do your job. Every soldier has a job, and every job is important to the function of the whole. When one job isn't done it affects the whole unit. The mouth is somewhat similar. You see, every tooth has a job. This is why it is important for the oral cavity's health to have all of the teeth. Just like in the army, when one person doesn't do their job correctly, it puts more pressure on the rest of the unit, when a tooth is missing, it makes the other teeth have to work harder.