The Con­nec­tion Between Oral Health and Men­tal Wellbeing

Issues with your oral health are linked to negative health outcomes, including heart disease, higher instances of infections, pregnancy complications and digestive problems. A less understood area is the link between oral health and mental health. We know that poor oral health can negatively impact self-esteem and confidence. It’s also known that poor mental health can make it difficult to maintain your oral health.

In this guide, we’re exploring the link between oral health and mental health and what you can do to help bolster both. If you’re struggling with any of the issues outlined in this post, we encourage you to get in touch with our team so that we can help support you.

How oral health impacts mental health

If you are having issues with your oral health, this can have an impact on your mental health for a number of reasons.

• Poor self-esteem. Issues with your smile can impact your confidence, damaging your self-esteem and making it difficult to feel good about yourself. This can have a widespread impact on your life, making it difficult to socialise, maintain relationships and excel at work.

• Social isolation. Issues like bad breath or tooth loss can make individuals retreat. There is a stigma of shame around poor oral health, and this could lead individuals to retreat and avoid people if they are worried about how they will be perceived.

• Speech problems. If you have tooth loss or if you wear dentures, you might struggle to speak with ease. The fear of your denture slipping might make it difficult for you to speak to people. This can make it very hard to maintain relationships.

• Pain and discomfort. If you are always in pain because of tooth decay or other issues, this can have a negative impact on your mood. Chronic dental pain can therefore make it more difficult to enjoy a positive outlook on life, leading to isolation and loneliness.

• Panic attacks and anxiety. It’s not uncommon for those with poor oral health to suffer panic attacks as a result of their condition. It’s also more likely that you will develop a fear of the dentist due to a fear of judgement. This can make it more difficult to seek treatment.

How mental health impacts oral health

As you can see, there are lots of ways that poor oral health can impact your mental health, but it also works both ways. If you suffer from instances of poor mental health, you might find it more difficult to care for your teeth during this time.

• Those suffering from low moods and depression might find everyday tasks like brushing their teeth more difficult. Failing to brush your teeth puts you at increased risk of tooth decay and tooth loss, which will have a further negative impact on your mental health.

• Depression and poor mental health can impact your dietary choices. You might reach for unhealthy comfort food rather than choices that you know are good for your health. This can have a negative impact on your oral health in the long term, particularly if you are also failing to brush your teeth.

• Stress and anxiety can lead you to grind your teeth at night which can lead to uneven wearing and enamel erosion. This can also be quite painful to live with, as you will often wake with pain in your jaw.

How can your dentist help?

If you are struggling with your mental health, it’s essential to find the appropriate help. This could include speaking to your GP and options like therapy. Alongside this, we also recommend getting in touch with your dentist. If your mental health issues are linked in any way to your oral health, we can help get things back on track.

If you are concerned that your mental health is impacting your ability to care for your teeth, we can also help. We offer a supportive and accepting space where you can talk about your issues and concerns freely. Together, we can safeguard your oral health while you tackle the task of taking care of your mental health.