Maintaining great oral hygiene can fight away more than just cavities, recent studies are showing. Maintaining your mental health has a bit to do with your smile as well, & not just because smiling is a sign of being happy.
The Tie Between Teeth & Mental Health
Our smile is one of our most defining characteristic features. When it suffers, so can our self esteem & vice versa. In adults, a drop in oral hygiene can be a symptom of some other larger mental health issue. Economic stress can make dental care seem out of reach, which can lead to depression. This, in turn, can lead to a feeling of lethargy & a lack of regular visits for even an affordable or sometimes free cleaning.
Another example is teeth grinding, which can be a symptom of anxiety. While bruxism has many possible causes & is still being studied, stress has been shown to cause grinding.
It is because of this relationship that a push to bring a more holistic approach to oral hygiene & cleaning visits has come about. Your dentist may now be more likely than before to ask questions related to your overall & mental well-being in order to fully understand how they can help you best.
For patients, it’s good to know you have options. Many dentists provide free preventative care through charities, as well as during specific times at their practices for uninsured patients. There are often financing options & reduced rates for cash patients or new patients at many offices.
In Youth
For children & young adults, the relationship between mental & oral health is similar, possibly even more pronounced. Children are especially susceptible to social pressures, which can have a cyclical effect on health.
If a child has good oral health, this positive outward appearance has a positive effect on self image. In contrast, one article suggests, having a low self image can lead to more destructive behavior, such as eating too much sugar.
Think about why so many teens dread braces. It isn’t the pain or discomfort—it’s how they’ll appear to their friends! Proper education about the long-term health & cosmetic benefits of good early oral health can help steer children on the path to better self images.
Even More Benefits
Not only can good oral health help our mental health in day-to-day terms, but it can also help prevent the chances of more serious mental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s. While getting a cleaning doesn’t guarantee prevention, studies are showing they can decrease the risk.
One study points to a decrease in infection, harmful bacteria & buildup after regular cleanings, specifically those that cause gingivitis, as a reduction of Alzheimer’s risk. They note that those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s were nearly all found to also have high levels of gingipain—enzymes that this bacteria release into our bodies.
More research is being done, including whether reduction of gingivitis later in life can be helpful in reducing or slowing effects after diagnosis.
For more information on how proper hygiene benefits your overall health, talk to your local dentist.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8859414/
https://www.alz.org/co/news/oral-health-and-alzheimers-risk