While we all want straight, white, shiny teeth that help to give us a beautiful smile, your teeth are worth far more to you than just those dashing good looks of yours.

Without teeth, we wouldn’t be able to bite, chew and digest our food. Just think about that for a second. Imagine not being able to eat your favourite food, whether that’s steak, a burger, an apple, crusty bread… Without your teeth all of these would be off the menu. How sad would that be?

Without teeth, we wouldn’t be able to speak clearly. Many people who lose teeth find that they begin to lisp or can’t pronounce words clearly. This is because the teeth create a structure for the lips and tongue, which helps us to form sounds and words. Without our teeth, it can be difficult to speak as normal, and however much peace and quiet your partner might want this really isn’t a good thing.

Similarly, the teeth help to form a structure for our face. Without teeth the face can look sunken as the shape begins to get lost. So, losing teeth really does mean losing more than just a smile.

So what can you do?

Looking after our teeth is absolutely paramount. At Sparklysmile, we know that better oral health in the long term comes from three key habits:

Brushing thoroughly twice a day.

Keeping an eye on the amount and frequency of sugar consumed.

Visiting the dentist and hygienist as often as recommended – some people need to go more frequently than others (just like some people need to exercise more frequently to stay in shape.)

Blackheath dental practice Sparklysmile recommends that most patients attend for check ups every six months. This helps the dentist monitor any changes to your oral health and allows them to spot and treat problems before they become serious issues.

• Sparklysmile
• 19 Montpelier Vale Blackheath London SE3 0TA 
• 020 8852 0442
• www.sparklysmile.co.uk