Dental health has a significant impact on mental health. Good dental health contributes to good mental health, while poor dental health leads to mental health issues. Below are some ways dental and mental health are related to each other.
Self-esteem
An individual with a perfectly healthy and attractive smile always has healthy self-esteem, which boosts confidence. Poor dental health leads to dry mouth, which produces a bad smell, wounds, and sores, which can affect an individual's mental health.
More so, tooth decay and gum disease, discolored teeth, and missing teeth lower self-esteem, which in the long run can affect their mental state and may cause depression and anxiety.
Abnormal Pain and Discomfort
A level of pain and discomfort is produced when an individual has poor dental health, which can lead to a painful state that causes you not to focus and concentrate. At this level, this discomfort can disrupt the individual's mental state and lead to stress and anxiety, which may develop into depression.
Social Isolation
Poor dental health, such as long periods of bad breath, gingivitis, and tooth decay, misplaced and missing teeth, may cause you to isolate socially due to being ashamed and embarrassed about your condition. Long prolonged seasons of social isolation leads to withdrawal from social activities and harm mental health.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Missing teeth and misplaced teeth make it difficult to consume healthy foods, which can cause nutritional deficiencies. Lack of certain nutrients in the body may impact dental health and contribute to mental health problems such as depression.
Sleep Problems
Sleep apnea, a dental problem, may lead to sleep disruption and fatigue. A prolonged lack of sleep causes the development of stress anxiety, which eventually affects mental health.
Thus, it's necessary to maintain good dental health, which can improve the well-being of an individual and reduce the risk of developing mental health problems. If you are experiencing dental health problems, you can visit our offices for the best dental treatment and care.
Dental health has a significant impact on mental health. Good dental health contributes to good mental health, while poor dental health leads to mental health issues. Below are some ways dental and mental health are related to each other.