Living a healthy and happy life requires a comprehensive, overall body approach and an understanding that all body systems are connected. You might already know that dental health is essential to your physical health. But it’s important to understand that poor oral health can compromise your mental health. Since mental and oral health is interconnected, both can continuously impact each other. Continue reading to know how.
Can Dental Health affect Mental Health?
Dental health can impact mental health. When you are suffering from oral issues, it can affect the quality of your life and increase mental health issues. If an individual is embarrassed or insecure about teeth and oral health, this can trigger social anxiety.
These people might stop socializing and lose their confidence. And if a person is already dealing with psychological conditions, poor dental health can increase mental health symptoms. Research indicates that a higher risk for tooth loss and dental decay can lead to social isolation, frequent pain experiences, poor quality of life, and low self-esteem, and are linked to poor mental and physical health.
Additionally, your mental health can also affect the health of your gums and teeth. When you are anxious or stressed, you might not care for your dental health, such as avoiding brushing. Your oral health can tell several things about your overall health. It can show stress, mood, anxiety, and severe eating problems.
Many studies indicate that people suffering from chronic mental health conditions have 2.8 times more risk of losing teeth than the general public. This is because of the difficulty accessing dental care or untreated health conditions. People who are suffering from mental health like depression and anxiety can engage in behaviors that eventually affect their dental health, such as:
- Drinking or eating too many beverages or sugary foods
- Loss of appetite that results in poor nutrition
- Dental anxiety- fear of consulting the dentist
- Difficulty caring for teeth regularly, like avoiding brushing teeth
- Smoking
- Pain
- Dry mouth
- Drug use or alcohol use
So, to improve your overall health, you need to work on both mental and dental health.
Oral Health Preventive Care
Start caring for your gums and teeth if you want to avoid losing your teeth or simply don’t want to deal with social anxiety. Here are a few things you can do:
- Stop smoking
- Brush your teeth with interdentally brush or dental floss
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- See your dentist regularly
- Stop drinking alcohol or at least reduce drinking it
- Look for a nutrient-rich diet
Manage Your Mental Health
While managing your oral health, taking a few steps to improve mental health is also important to avoid ruining your hand work to improve your dental condition. Here are tips for practicing.
- Exercise regularly
- Connect with other people to get rid of stress
- Practice mindfulness
- Consult your doctor
Bottom Line
Since you know how dental and mental health is connected, it’s time to plan your daily routine to boost your overall health. Practice the mentioned tips regularly to see the results. If you have any questions, please reach out to us here!
