Can bad teeth cause mental health problems? Short answer, yes. Dental health and mental health are interrelated. A person’s mental health can be negatively impacted by their teeth in different ways.
Numerous mental health problems, including anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and the reemergence of old mental health issues, can be caused by poor dental health. For example, one of the adverse effects of having bad teeth is making it uncomfortable to smile; confidence and bad teeth typically do not get along. Thus, a person may become more reserved and withdrawn, which are symptoms of social anxiety.
For a person to enjoy the highest possible quality of life, both dental and mental health must be taken care of in a cycle. How much a person’s oral health affects him mentally depends on his perspective and thinking, but having good oral health makes things much simpler. So, let’s explore how teeth affect mental health and vice versa.
My Teeth are Affecting my Mental Health. Why?
Social Anxiety
People experience social anxiety because of their teeth for multiple reasons, including foul breath, crookedness, yellowing and decaying teeth. A person’s mental health will greatly suffer if they can’t smile or communicate without displaying their teeth. They end up hiding their teeth and being socially awkward.
Low Self-Esteem
Teeth affecting mental health by targeting a person’s self-worth can play a critical role in a person’s self-esteem. According to a study, people who thought they were “less attractive” had lower self-esteem scores than people who thought they were “attractive.” This reinforces the idea that one’s appearance, including their teeth, affects their sense of self-worth. Some people struggle with bad teeth and confidence, especially since dental attractiveness is an important element of quality of life.
Depression
One of the primary mental health problems that many people experience is depression. Issues with dental health are only one of the many things that might make someone experience this. Due to the lack of oral health care, having bad teeth and a lack of confidence can significantly affect how a person views himself. This sets off a chain of events that snowball into depression, starting with a lack of self-assurance and progressing to social awkwardness and, ultimately, full neglect of dental health due to negative body image.
How Does Mental Health Affect Oral Health?
We now know how dental health influences a person’s mental health and, the other way around, occuing in a never-ending loop. Now that we are aware of one end of the spectrum, we must ask ourselves, “How does mental health affect oral health? “Oral health and mental health are intertwined; to have one, you must also be aware of the other.
Statistics show that patients with mental health issues are more likely to experience tooth decay, erosion or even tooth loss. A person’s self-image, confidence and perspective can all be seriously damaged by such oral health problems.
Depression
Both the cause and the result of poor oral health is depression. Alcohol, caffeine and tobacco are risk factors for tooth erosion, decay, and yellowing. Usage of these substances is more common in those with depression. Also, self-neglect, including forgetting to brush one’s teeth, results from depression.
Another issue is the usage of antidepressant medications to treat depression. It may help a person feel like themselves again. However, it does have side effects. For example, some of these drugs can potentially cause xerostomia (dry mouth), which increases the risk of dental decay, gum disease, bad breath and other conditions.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are a few instances that can negatively impact dental health. The teeth can show signs of vitamin and nutrient insufficiency, which is a serious health problem for people with eating disorders and can lead to enamel erosion, dry mouth, enlargement of the salivary glands, mouth sores, tooth decay, sensitive teeth, etc.
Additionally, acidic vomiting can make people with eating problems more prone to tooth decay.
Bipolar Disorder
This condition is associated with overbrushing, which harms gum health and can lead to tooth abrasion, mucosal lacerations or gingival lacerations. Lithium treatment for individuals with bipolar disorder can also result in oral problems, much like antidepressants. Patients that underwent this therapy are more likely to develop xerostomia and stomatitis.
The Bright Side of Circumstances
We must not ignore the benefits of the relationship between oral and mental health now that we know the link between them.
This, in contrast to poor dental health, has no repercussions and can bring out the best in people. It enables us to perform better in all areas, including speaking, smiling, eating and socialising. Good oral health improves a person’s quality of life by boosting self-esteem and confidence.
Visit SmileBar Today
It is suggested that individuals take care of their teeth; and many experts can assist with this. SmileBar is among the top companies offering oral health care services. It may change the state of your oral health from dreary to dazzling in just five simple steps! You can check different excellent procedures at a reasonable cost. Plus, you can give someone the gift of a white smile with SmileBar Gift Vouchers.
Instead of coping with the long-term effects of poor oral hygiene, investing in dental care procedures is a smart move. If you’re ready to get professional teeth whitening, book an appointment online or call us at 1300 757 641. You can visit one of our branches in four cities; Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Gold Coast.
