Why dental health also influences mental health
Have you ever been ashamed of your teeth? Or does your dental status regularly cause you social anxiety? Both of these factors suggest that there is a very close link between your dental health and your mental health. In today's blog post, we'll explain how closely your dental status is linked to your mental health and how the two are interrelated.
Oral health influences quality of life
Good oral health can improve your quality of life, but it can also make existing mental health problems worse. Poor oral health affects the quality of life and makes existing mental health problems much worse. It is not uncommon for poor oral hygiene to hurt your self-esteem, while good oral hygiene improves your self-confidence and enhances social, emotional and mental well-being.
Evidence shows that there is a link between oral health and mental health. The health of your teeth - be it the colour or the state of health - says a lot about your overall health. Stress levels, anxiety, moods and chronic eating problems can also increasingly be explained by poor dental status.
A recent study that followed subjects over several years showed that people who suffer from severe mental illness are twice as likely to lose their teeth as others. In most cases, untreated health disorders or health difficulties are due to a lack of access to dental care.
Reconciling dental status and mental health
What to do? The best thing you can do for your teeth is to brush them twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. The fluoride helps to strengthen the enamel, which in turn protects against tooth decay. If you feel uncomfortable brushing your teeth, talk to your dentist about the best way to get the results you want. If you're worried about your mouth, you're not alone. The most common oral health problems are tooth decay, gingivitis and gum disease.
How can you improve your dental health and mental health problems? Since your mental health and dental health are closely linked, there are several things you can do to balance the two. It's best to start bit by bit and incorporate a small change into your daily routine. Change the way you start your day and make dental hygiene a regular ritual.
Just by making this change and keeping it in the back of your mind, your daily ritual will have a lasting effect. This change ensures that you take control and ownership of your physical and dental health from now on. Our emmi®-dent ultrasonic toothbrush will help you to not only practice your dental hygiene regularly, but also easily and thoroughly.