You may think that your tongue and lips are the only body parts responsible for clear, crisp sounding words, but that is not the case. Since the holidays are coming up, you may hear the funny song, All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth. The joke is that the child singing the song can’t pronounce the word “Christmas,” because he or she has no front teeth.

In fact, teeth are vital to speech and speech patterns. As you speak, try to notice how your tongue moves against your teeth to form certain words, including “th” sounds. In fact, without your teeth, it would be very difficult to say the word “teeth”!

One of the benefits of investing in cosmetic dentistry is that it can help you maintain clear speech patterns. Your speech patterns may also be skewed if your teeth are crooked or you are missing teeth. If you feel your teeth (or lack of teeth) are affecting your speech pattern, make an appointment with your local dentist or orthodontist.