Poor dental health can increase quality of life and make mental health problems worse.
When my boyfriend passed away from cancer in 2005, I got so depressed I stopped brushing my teeth. This resulted in me losing them and having to get dentures. But I was too depressed to wear them. Mental health problems may impair dental hygiene, research shows, and specific oral microbes may impact the brain. Mouth health and mind health are interconnected.
After going through two years of dental procedures before I got the dentures my PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) was aggravated, and I haven't been able to go back to the dentist. I miss being able to smile in pictures, but I am slowly clawing my way back to taking care of my mouth.
According to research, poor dental health can affect eating, speech, self-esteem, and social interactions.
The National Library Medicine states that studies have shown that mental and oral health may be correlated with associations demonstrated between psychological problems and tooth loss, periodontal disease, and decay. Poor oral health can negatively impact well-being while psychiatric issues may contribute to bad dental care, according to ourmental.health.
The American Psychiatric Association shows that while it may not be widely understood, there is a clear connection between a person's dental health and their mental condition.
People diagnosed with cerebral illnesses often face a higher risk of poor physical condition including oral hygiene.
Mental well-being is as important as dental hygiene.
Several years ago, Yahoo Voices published a story I wrote when I was struggling with depression and brushing my teeth. I got a lot of cyberbullying from writing that column. There really is a lot of misunderstanding regarding depression and oral care when it comes to the general public. It's not just a matter of "just doing it." You have to get motivated first. Depression and other mental illnesses can make you feel tired and unmotivated. Dental hygiene problems aren't generally recognized by counselors, therapists, or psychologists and many patients face barriers to treatment.
Dr. Neetu Singh reports that the number of teeth that an adult has can impact their oral health. Dental problems can play a part in such illnesses such as heart defects, pneumonia, the flu, Alzheimer's, coughing, respiratory problems, and other diseases.
While most people consider tooth brushing and flossing part of their overall health, very few people understand the impact that taking care of your teeth can have on mental health. The connection between dental and mental health is undeniable.
The Journal of International Medical Research published an abstract two years ago that showed few studies have assessed the direct effects of oral health management on the mind and psychological disease.
Bored Panda interviewed me in October 2019, and I told them before dental surgery my life was just a black hole, and I had to give up so many things that I couldn't eat that I loved for years like salads and many fruits. I had no bone at all in my upper jaw, so they had to borrow bone from a cadaver. I was in pain for two weeks. Though I was on five medications for depression and anxiety it wasn't enough to make me motivated to brush my teeth before they all had to be pulled.
When I wore my dentures, people definitely greeted me warmly and wanted to interact with me more so than when I didn't have any teeth.
My therapist told me recently that she knows it can be hard to begin something you have distanced yourself from.
After a long period of time, I finally brushed my gums January 24 and 25 this year but it has still been a struggle.
Ten years ago, an article from UMass Chan Medical School featured Dr. Hugh Silk who made it a practice to examine his patients' teeth as part of their exam.
He said in 2015, 186 million people would not be visiting their dentist and that it had become really important for doctors to merge dental health into primary care.