Why Is Harmony Important For Your Oral Health

Our body requires harmony for all body parts to function optimally. Just as an interference or disharmony in a mechanical gear system can impact its longevity and functioning, similarly our mouth and dental health depends on harmony. 

To understand this, let’s take the example of a gear system that is joined with a rubber band. The rubber band is attached to the gear at a joint and the gears are moving in harmony. However, when or if the harmony is disturbed there is an interference in the gear system. 

This causes three different problems. It leads to abnormal wear and tear of the gears, puts unnecessary pressure on the rubber band and also on the gear joint due to the excited movement of the gears. 

Similarly, our upper and lower teeth and jaw system is comparable to the gear system. The muscles and ligaments of the mouth function in a similar manner. So far as the system moves in harmony, all is well. But when this harmony is disturbed, it leads to three problems similar to the gear analogy:

• Abnormal wear and tear of the teeth
• Pressure and disturbance in the muscle system of the mouth
• Pressure and disturbance in the jaw joint

In a nutshell, the disturbance or interference in chewing patterns can disturb the harmony and damage everything from your teeth to your muscle movement to your jaw joint.

But what causes disharmony or interference in the first place? There are many reasons but some of the most popular ones include the following:

When a tooth is lost and not replaced for a long time then the tooth adjacent to it moves and creates interference or disturbance

Often when wisdom teeth erupt, the rest of the teeth have already made their space so the wisdom tooth is positioned awkwardly because of insufficient space. This is another reason that causes disharmony.

When canine teeth get worn due to age, it also causes disharmony in our chewing pattern. This disharmony in the mouth can lead to excessive wear and tear and also damages our muscular system and jaw joint.

Ever wondered how your biting and chewing patterns may negatively impact your oral health. This is why it is important to pay attention to the slightest change or abnormality in your chewing. If the teeth are not aligned properly, you become at risk of experiencing a range of mouth issues. 

Bad bite or overbite

You may have heard about the term bad bite, crossbite, overbite, or irregular bite. It simply means that your upper and lower teeth are not aligned properly when chewing or biting food. 

If the bite is not properly aligned, it naturally leads to incorrect or excessive pressure that causes friction and a number of other problems. The bad bite can be corrected with the help of a dentist. Sometimes even a jaw injury or a new dental appliance such as a filling can cause a bad bite.

Prevention is better than cure

If you suspect that you are suffering from a bad bite, it is important to correct it as soon as possible. Here’s why:

• TMJ

If it is a severe overbite, it might be caused by TMJ diagnosis or a temporomandibular joint disorder. The exact cause for TMJ varies but it is usually a combination of factors. In a majority of cases, the pain and discomfort that accompanies TMJ can be treated with adequate care and non-surgical procedures.

• Gum disease

A bad bite is sometimes caused by crooked teeth that make it very hard to clean the teeth properly. This eventually leads to a gum disease diagnosis.

• Long-term health of the teeth

Bad bite or poor chewing patterns can put a lot of undue stress on the teeth. Some more than the others. This can make them loose and cause them to crack or damage the enable putting your entire tooth at risk. 

How will a dentist help you fix your bite and chewing patterns?

Don’t wait too long if you think you might have a chewing problem. Schedule an appointment with your dentist and discuss what is the best course of action in treating your teeth, muscular system or jaws.  The treatment options range from using braces, oral surgery, nightguard therapy to modification or replacement of fillings/crowns, change in habits, etc. 

Conclusion

Harmony is important not only in life but also for your oral health. When one or more factors disturb the harmony of your mouth, it leads to a number of problems. It is better to diagnose and treat these problems early to avoid tooth loss.