The mouth is a very important part of the body that needs little introduction. It is a slit-like cavity located in the lower front part of the head. The opening to the mouth is bound by the upper and the lower lips. The cavity is formed by the bones of the upper and the lower jaws known respectively as the maxilla and the mandible and covered externally by the lips and the cheek.

The structure within the mouth are:

1. The teeth which are positioned, inserted in the alveolar bone, which run along the structure of the jaw bones. There are usually about 32 in adults, but can be more or less depending on various circumstances.
2. The tongue is a powerful muscular organ that is critical to every function performed by the mouth.
3. The soft tissue covering of the mouth lines the inner surface of the cheek, lips, surface of alveolar bone where it forms the gums, the jaw bones, the roof and the floor of the mouth then extends to the back where it continues to line the throat.
4. Major salivary glands are embedded deep to the oral lining while minor salivary glands are scattered all around the oral mucosa.

The mouth performs various functions such as chewing, digestion, defense, swallowing, speech formation and taste sensation. Problems with any of these structures give rise to diseases which greatly impact on the wellness and functions of the mouth and the general body.

The face is the epicenter of human beauty and identity, arguably the most critical determinant of physical attractiveness. Poor arrangement of teeth, broken tooth, discolored tooth injuries involving the face may detract from facial esthetics, thereby impacting on self confidence, self esteem and breeding inferiority complex. Children may be teased and bullied for these in school causing them to want to avoid going to school.

A common source of poor aesthesis that surprisingly, only a few people seem to care about is the presence of plaque and calculus (tartar) around the front teeth. This is an unsightly concretion of product of food debris, saliva and bacteria which is usually creamy, greenish or yellowish color around the teeth. It is a major factor in development of poor mouth odor and destruction of tooth attachment and subsequent loss of affected teeth.

The mouth receives the food which are then chewed by the teeth, thereby kick-starting the process of digestion. Chewing breaks food into pieces, increasing the surface area for optimal action and efficiency of digestive enzymes. Adequate number of healthy teeth is essential for this function. Loss of too many teeth reduces the efficiency with which this function is carried out.

The presence of standing teeth maintains the height of the face, playing a critical part in facial appearance. We often find people who have lost considerable number of teeth having their cheek collapsed and puckered as the height of their face get reduced, giving an unaesthetic appearance. Lots of other problems will accompany the loss of too many teeth, these include loss of efficiency at food mastication which hampers the ability to satisfy the body’s nutrition requirement; problems with the temporomandibular joint, – the joint at which the lower jaw is anchored to the skull, undergoing derangement which can be accompanied by extreme pain, wearing of the joint surface and clicking sound.

Saliva and Digestion: The mouth contains salivary glands, the structure where saliva is produced. The saliva contains among other components, digestive enzymes which carries out the essential first step in the digestion of carbohydrate food substance.
Saliva and Speech. One of the chief duties of saliva is to was to wash and lubricate the mouth, and while at it, helps prevent a lot of diseases especially bad breath, gum diseases and caries. Also, activities such as tasting, talking, chewing and swallowing will take a serious hit should there be any problem with the quality and quantity of saliva in the mouth.

The mouth is the gateway to the digestive system, hence the body. This opening is the one that interact with the exterior most, hence the need to have a potent defense force man this area is critical. Saliva prevents the proliferation of harmful bacteria that may come into the mouth either through air or with food, by washing them off into the acidic environment of the stomach where they are destroyed. Saliva also contains defense cells and enzymes that is able to break down bacteria cell wall, while maintaining the population of the normal oral flora.

The impact of arrangement of teeth on appearance, viz a viz self esteem and confidence can not be over emphasized, with the teeth being arguably about the most noticed part of the body and with which an individual may be described. They are better taken care of to avoid this negative identifying feature. Poorly arranged teeth is a source of bullying causing untold emotional trauma to the young adolescents; with a tendency to depression, lack of interest in school attendance.

Care of the mouth is critical to the physical, mental and social wellness of a man. The difference a well cared for mouth will make in human endeavor can be enormous. Book a visit to a dentist today. For more personal and detailed enquiry, email can be sent to gracetondental@gmail.com.