The Other Purposes of the Oral Cavity

oral cavity

The face is the first thing that many people notice. Whether you are with someone you know in a private place or walking outside the busy streets, your eyes would gravitate towards that part of the body. It is as if your instinct is to scan each face to get an idea of what their current mood is or generally what kind of person they are.

A smile is always pleasant to look at. It projects a friendly vibe that makes anyone approachable. Of course, a charming smile needs a good set of teeth, and if your front ones have some very noticeable flaws, you can have them fixed. You can consult a dentist about how to get porcelain veneers in Salt Lake City. This is something that can be embedded onto the teeth to give them a smooth and clean appearance. It is as if you have grown new ones. They will provide you with the confidence to smile at anyone you meet.

The lips and teeth can enhance any expression that your face wants to convey. They are often used as measures of one’s beauty. But aside from aesthetics, the oral cavity has other purposes.

Digestion

The delicious food that you seek is savored through your mouth. This is where you begin to break down the solid components you eat. But of course, your taste buds are there to let you enjoy the variety of flavors from your meal. Biting into a freshly cooked fried chicken will be for naught if you can’t feel its texture and taste its juicy flavors in your mouth.

The chewing process makes it easier for your stomach to absorb nutrients. So eating something quickly not only can give you an upset tummy; it also makes you miss out on enjoying your food.

Speech

talking with each other

One unique thing about being human is how complex you are, and the best proof of this is your ability to communicate. While most animals can be instantly distinguishable by the sound they make, humans are capable of speech. You have a considerable vocabulary, and words are made up of countless combinations of syllables.

You can pronounce these by skillful manipulation of your lips, teeth, and tongue. You can even try to simulate how hard it would be not to have one of them. Try to curl up your lips against your teeth so that they are fully exposed, and then try pronouncing the letter “M.” You will end up saying the letter “N,” this is because you need to have both your upper and lower lips stick to each other and roll inwards to pronounce “M.” Different techniques have you push your tongue against your teeth to create other sounds.

Sensory

Your lips have soft skin, which makes them sensitive to touch. When you have both of your hands full, you can pucker up if you want to sense an object’s temperature or texture. In hot weather, you tend to lick your lips to moisten them so that you can feel cooler as they dry out. Do not forget that the lips were also created to be used in the intimate act of kissing. While there is emotion involved, the meeting of two pairs of lips is something that cannot be replicated by the other parts of the body.

There is a lot to be admired in the oral cavity. It makes you beautiful and helps you become a better and healthier person. So it is just right for you to take good care of it.

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