How Your Dental Health Can Impact Your Mental Health

Our oral health is more important than many give it credit for. It has already been closely linked to our heart health, but it could also have more impact on your mind and mental health than you think. Here, we’re going to look at some of the connections between your mental and oral health, showing why it’s important to address the two now, rather than when it becomes more difficult.

Embarrassment and self-esteem

A poorly maintained mouth can lead to depression, as well as stress and anxiety about social situations. In fact, research like that shown at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6203496/  shows that poor oral health and depression are closely linked. If you feel like you cannot smile or be seen in public, then it will naturally affect your self-esteem. However, people who have problems like discolouration or visible tooth decay are also more likely to not take care of their teeth due to depression, leading to a vicious cycle that can only be broken by taking a firm stance towards ensuring proper oral hygiene routines.

Isolation and loneliness

Another one of the major problems caused by the poor quality of oral hygiene is hesitance or refusal to be in social situations or the public. Even some treatments, such as braces, can cause this, so more discreet options such as https://www.invisalign.com.au/ can be a better recommendation for those who might be prone to closing themselves away from the world. In some cases, a double approach of counselling alongside oral health treatments may be necessary.

Anxiety about getting treated

Dental anxiety and a fear of the dentist can lead to people not seeking the treatment that they might need. However, a lot of people only feel that anxiety when they feel embarrassed to confront an issue that affects them, such as a missing tooth. Services like https://themeredithclinic.com/dental-implants-brisbane/ can help you address any kind of dental problem, no matter how severe it might seem. A good professional dentist will offer no judgement, only the solutions that you need.

The cycle of bad nutrition

As mentioned, poor oral health can contribute to stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental illness. These issues can affect our diet, leading to binge eating or a slip in dietary standards that then lead to a negative feedback loop. Sugary foods and drinks, as well as foods that get stuck in our teeth easily, like crisps, can lead to more tooth decay. This, in turn, can lead to worsening the mental health issues that contribute to a bad diet, and so on. Improving your oral health and your diet can be the two essential sides of self-care in this respect.

Your emotional and mental health can depend on your oral health more than you might think. Make sure that you’re taking care of it by making an appointment with a dentist to take care of any outstanding issues. It might be embarrassing now, but you can greatly improve your self-esteem and confidence on the other side.