Jawbone Health

How Your Jaw Interacts with Your Teeth

by

Your teeth and jaw allow you to soften solid food by chewing it and also to take a bite of hard foods. Three have to be proper interactions between your teeth and jaw for your teeth to perform these tasks. This article talks about how your jaw interacts with your teeth.

Structure of Your Teeth

Your teeth are made of a tough, bone-like substance and are held by small openings in your upper and lower jawbones commonly referred to as dental alveoli. They are also anchored firmly in place by a network of strong fibers. The teeth in your upper and lower jaws form two arches that naturally fit together or create a slight overlap when you close your teeth or take a bite. An adult’s upper and lower jaws have two sets of 16 teeth, including four incisors, two canine teeth, four premolars, four molars, and two wisdom teeth. The two sets form a total of 32 teeth.

Jawbones and Jaw Muscles

Your skull is made up of a few plate-like bones, including your upper jawbone (maxilla) and lower jawbone (mandible). While your upper jawbone is firmly fixed to the other bones of your skull, your lower jawbone is attached to your temporal bones by flexible muscles that enable it to move up and down when speaking and eating. When your jaw muscles are tensed (tightened), your lower jaw is pulled up tightly against your upper jaw, allowing you to take a strong bite.

To open your mouth, you just need to relax your jaw muscles. Also, it is possible to move your lower jaw sideways, forward, and backward by engaging various muscles. These movements make it possible for you to grind food between your molars. Apart from chewing, opening, and closing your mouth, your teeth and jawbone rely on each other for survival. For instance, when you chew, the pressure on your teeth stimulates your jawbone so that it can be renewed. Your jawbone can lack stimulation when you lose a tooth or have oral infections that prevent you from using a certain part of your mouth.

Without this stimulation, your jawbone will break down and resorb, leaving you with loose teeth. This means that your body will no longer “need” the jawbone, and therefore it will deteriorate and go away. The rate of jaw bone deterioration and the amount of jawbone lost vary greatly among people.

If you have further questions about your jaw and teet interactionsh, talk to Dr. Kademani right away.

What Are the Best Ways to Maintain Good Jawbone Health?

by

The jawbone performs some of the most important functions in the body. For example, this bone is the one that enables you to open and close your mouth effortlessly when talking, singing, eating, etc. Also, your teeth call the jawbone “home”. Your jawbone protects some of the most vital facial organs as well. Therefore, an injured or unhealthy jawbone can make your life unbearable.

If not taken proper care of, your jawbone will deteriorate and cause tooth loss. Some common risk factors for jawbone problems include tooth extraction, periodontal diseases, trauma, facial tumor, misalignment, and dentures. So, you must keep your jawbone healthy while ensuring that it is functioning flawlessly. Here are several effective ways to maintain excellent jawbone health.

Take Calcium Supplements

Research has shown that 99% of the calcium in the human body resides in the bones and teeth. The body requires calcium to perform essential functions such as regulation of blood pressure and heartbeat control. Interestingly, this mineral is continuously being stored and removed from the teeth and bones. So, if you don’t absorb enough calcium, your bones, including the jawbone, become weak and begin to deteriorate. So, to keep your jawbone strong and healthy, you need to take in enough calcium. That’s why calcium supplements are so important. However, you need to seek advice from a doctor on the best calcium supplements to take.

Exercise Your Jaw Muscles

Like any other muscles in your body, your jaw muscles perform a vital role in enabling your jawbone to open and close consistently when talking, eating, laughing, etc. These muscles always need to perform at a high level. The best way to achieve this is to exercise your jaw muscles regularly. One of the easiest ways to exercise your jaw is to stretch the jaw muscles by opening your mouth wide for a few seconds. Another way is to push the lower jaw backward and forward while holding each position for ten seconds. It may seem simple, but it is straightforward and effective.

Don’t Overburden Your Jaw

While exercising your jaw muscles is important, you shouldn’t overwork them. Avoid excessive chewing or eating food that is too hard. When eating, make sure the food is correctly prepared and easy to chew.

Regular Oral Checkups

Visit your doctor regularly for oral checkups. These checkups help to detect possible jawbone complications before they deteriorate and become a major problem. It would be best if you did not wait until you started feeling pain in your jaw before seeing your doctor.
Feel free to talk to us if you need any help with your jawbone health.