If someone said they could learn about you from your teeth, you’d probably think that’s obvious. “Well, of course! They’d know whether or not I do a good job at dental care.” But teeth can say more about your identity than just your oral health. Pearly whites can reveal other, more fundamental aspects of who you are as a person. So, what do your teeth say about you? Flower Mound dentists say quite a lot — here’s a summary of four ways your identity affects your smile. Read on to see if they match up with what you know about yourself!
Age
As it turns out, your teeth can be a handy record of your age.
You see, younger teeth tend to look more rectangular. For example, a younger person’s central incisors will have more rounded corners. Meanwhile, the same teeth are shorter and squarer in older people.
Why is this the case? Well, it’s because humans lose bits of their teeth over time. On average, a person will lose between 1 to 5 millimeters of their tooth length throughout their lifetime.
Biological Sex
To be clear, the ‘biological sex’ here refers to male and female.
Consider the latter one. Those assigned female at birth tend to have central incisors (aka front two teeth) that are longer than the lateral incisors on each side. These central incisors also tend to be more rounded at the end.
On the other hand, biological males’ lateral incisors are longer and squarer.
Mental Health
To the extent that it measures bodily experiences, tooth enamel can show parts of a person’s mental health history.
Researchers now believe they can infer from a child’s teeth how likely they are to develop mental illness. That’s because childhood teeth can bear the marks of stressors and adversity, known risk factors for future psychiatric disorders.
In older people, teeth can reveal if someone’s been exposed to heavy metals and thus at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Personality Traits
In some cases, your teeth can even show aspects of your personality.
People with a tendency towards aggression often have pointier, more pronounced canine teeth that protrude past their incisors. On the other hand, those who’re anxious may habitually grind and damage their teeth. Teeth that show marks of ice chewing and jaw clenching can imply a competitive personality.
People leave traces of who they are in many things, including their teeth. Take that into consideration the next time you peek at your smile.
About the Practice
Bridlewood Dental is based in Flower Mound, TX. As led by Dr. Roger Song, their team provides patients with comprehensive family dentistry under one roof. Their services include preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, not to mention emergency dental services. You can trust that this practice will tailor your experience to fit your smile-based needs perfectly. For more information or to book an appointment, reach them at their website or by phone at (972)-906-9797.