A Guide to the Connection Between Mental Health and Oral Health

It is very important to recognize that your overall health is affected by specific health issues that are affecting a specific area of your life. For instance, your oral health can affect your mental health. This is a correlation that has been supported by different research. And not only that, your oral health can also be a determinant of your overall health. Whatever condition you are experiencing can be extended to other aspects of your health.

Impact of Oral Health on Mental Health

For you to understand more about this special connection, here are the different ways on how oral health can impact your mental health:

• Poor dental health affects speech, which can cause significant social anxiety

Missing teeth, discolorized teeth, and other oral conditions can cause social anxiety. People who have any of these conditions may not have the confidence to speak in front of others. This is something that lessens the level of their confidence and lowers their self-esteem. Different research provides how oral health can cause significant lowering of self-esteem. This is why these oral conditions should be treated and dealt with before it can cause other major results such as these.

• Patients with mental illness have higher statistical rates of tooth decay and missing teeth

There have been records showing that people with mental illness usually suffer from tooth decay and missing teeth. This is because they tend to neglect their oral care habits as much as they forget other important activities in their daily lives. This is something that should be dealt with by people who are close to the person. Making sure that they are also taken care of in terms of oral care is a priority.

• Anxiety and dental phobia

Dental phobia is a condition where patients experience anxiety whenever they think about going to the dentist. This is something that may result from different factors. For some, they might have experienced a traumatic event while they were having a dental procedure. For others, they might have heard about other people’s experiences. This is a condition that may hinder people from getting the dental treatment that they need. As a result, it may become a reason for some serious dental conditions.

• Brushing actions

There has been an established connection between some disorders and the way a person brushes his or her teeth. For instance, people with bipolar disorder may show some over-vigorous brushing actions. This is something that can be harmful for the overall oral health because it may result in the elimination of the enamel. This is something that protects the surface of your teeth.

• Medications

There is also a connection between medication and people’s oral health. There are some medicines that may have effects such as having dry mouth. This is something that can be caused by the reduction in the saliva flow.

Preventive Care and Oral Hygiene

There are different options that people can consider to be able to deal with oral conditions that may affect the self-esteem. Here are some of the most important ones that can help you deal with such:

• Preventive dentistry

This is the field in dentistry that deals with the problem before it even becomes worse. This filed presents modern ways on how an individual can preserve his or her teeth. With preventive dentistry and the solution they present, you will be able to lessen the dental treatment that will lead to the extraction of your teeth. They deal with cases such as tooth decay and gum diseases.

• Proper teeth cleaning

One of the basic solutions that everyone must be doing to prevent tooth decay and other conditions that may affect the teeth is proper cleaning. Aside from brushing regularly and flossing, making sure that you are getting enough nutrition is one of the things that are being considered. Proper teeth cleaning is something that must be taught to children and this is also something that should be done regularly.

• Visiting your dentist regularly

There is a good reason why you should be visiting your dentist regularly. As we go on with our everyday life, we may encounter some things that can affect our health. This is also the case with oral or dental health. There might be some conditions that can affect your oral health. To ensure that you will be able to prevent the occurrence of some unexpected oral problems, you have to consult your dentist. As experts, they can provide you with the advice that will surely help you with your specific problem.

Final Thoughts

Oral care is important not only because it can determine your overall health. As human beings, we rely on eating as a means of survival. Ensuring that our teeth are in good condition will also give us the confidence to thrive. Your mental health is also as important as your oral health. Balancing your life in such a way that will protect your health must be a priority. There are different ways on how you can protect your oral health and your mental health at the same time.