Your body needs nourishment, sleep, and regular exercise to maintain positive mental health. When you don’t provide those things, it negatively affects you. But many people don’t consider how their oral health directly affects their mental health.
How Mental Health Affects Oral Health
Caring for your teeth and gums can keep your mind sharp and your focus on the most important things.
Mental Health Affects Dental Hygiene
The most common link between mental and oral health is poor dental hygiene. Many mental illnesses, like anxiety and depression, drain your energy. This lack of energy or motivation may lead you to forget to brush your teeth or cancel your dental appointments.
Mental Health Can Damage Your Gums and Teeth
Some mental health concerns cause reckless behavior. These impulsive decisions can lead to substance use problems, ranging from tobacco use to methamphetamines. These increase your chances of developing gum disease and losing teeth.
Mental Health Can Affect Your Eating Habits
Eating disorders are considered to be a mental health concern and can affect your teeth, with those at the highest risk being those with bulimia. Vomiting causes stomach acids to enter the mouth and damage the tooth enamel, which increases the chances of cavities forming.
Mental Health Medications Can Cause Oral Health Conditions
The three most common oral health conditions caused by antidepressants and mood stabilizers are dry mouth, teeth grinding, and burning mouth syndrome (BMS). These conditions can cause gingivitis, loose teeth, or an intense burning feeling around your lips and inside your mouth.
Take Control of Your Oral Health
Just because you struggle with your mental health doesn’t mean you have to suffer from poor oral health. Dr. David Piper, DMD, provides a warm and caring environment to help you comfortably get the necessary treatment. Call (727) 548-7100 today to fight back against any mental health concerns affecting your oral health.
Dr. Piper is a General and Cosmetic Dentist who has proudly served Pinellas County since 1993. Both he and his team of professionals provide high quality, gentle dental care in a relaxed, personalized, and caring environment. Treating patients like family sets his practice apart from others.
