You use your teeth every single day to eat, smile, speak, hold in your saliva, and maintain the structure of your face. However, have you ever thought about all the secrets about you that your smile holds? Your habits, lifestyle, and specific traits about you can all be determined just by analyzing your teeth. So, what do your teeth say about you? A dentist in Covington explains the different things that your smile has to say about you.
How Old You Are
Your teeth can show how old you are. Even if your think that you are taking excellent care of your teeth, they change as you get older. People who are young tend to have teeth that are more rectangular. Young people’s incisors also tend to have more rounded corners. For older people, teeth are shorter and more square. This is because the average human tooth loses about 1 to 5 millimeters of their tooth length in their life.
Biological Sex
People who are biologically female tend to have longer front teeth that are more rounded at the end. Biological males generally have lateral incisors that are longer and more square. Just by looking at someone’s smile, you can get an idea of if the person is male or female.
Risk of Mental Health Issues
The teeth are pretty much like fossils in the mouth. They can show a lot about the history of your body and experiences as they were forming. New research suggests that it may be possible for doctors to predict a child’s risk for mental health issues by analyzing their baby teeth along with information on family history.
Personality Traits
Believe it or not, teeth seem to have a correlation with your personality type. Here are a few examples:
- Aggressiveness: People who tend to be more aggressive often have pointer and more pronounced canine teeth. They are also more prone to grinding their teeth or brushing their teeth too hard, while can become apparent over time.
- Anxiousness: If you have anxious tendencies, your teeth may show this. People with anxiety are more likely to grind their teeth which can wear away the protective enamel.
- Competitiveness: Do you always strive to win? You may also be more likely to chew ice and clench your jaw.
- Partygoer: Do you like to go out on the weekends or even more often than that? Activities that are normally associated with partiers, like drinking and smoking, can take a toll on the teeth and become apparent.
- Passive: People who tend to be more relaxed and aren’t accustomed to stress end up with flatter canine teeth with curvier tips more often than not.
As private about your personal life as you may be, your teeth tell another story. There’s one more reason why it’s so important to take steps in order to keep your smile healthy throughout the years.
About the Author
Dr. Stephen Dean earned his doctorate from the Medical University of South Carolina and is committed to completing many hours of continuing education each year in order to keep his skills sharp. He is currently a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Dental Association. For more information on oral health or to schedule an appointment, visit his website or call (770) 786-3915.