What Is The Connection Between Oral And Mental Health?

Oral health and mental health are both essential for quality living. You can manage your oral health by taking various steps, such as brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing, etc. Also, you must visit the best dental clinic in Bangalore for regular dental checkups to manage oral health effectively. Proper oral health can help you manage and fight germs, keep bacteria and infections at bay and have many other benefits. 

Similarly, proper mental health keeps the body robust. Even though you may not be able to measure the result of mental health, it still works. Did you know that your oral and mental health are connected? Surprising, isn’t it? But it is true. In this blog, we will learn how oral and mental health are connected. 

Can Oral Health Affect Mental Health?

The short answer to this question is yes, oral health can affect your mental health. Suffering from oral health issues will cause stress and is likely to worsen your mental issues. People are insecure about different parts of their bodies. Some are insecure about their weight, nose, and body shape, while some are embarrassed about their teeth. 

You might be insecure about your appearance or smile if you have unaligned teeth, diastema (the gap between teeth) or other oral health issues. However, the good thing is that it can be fixed through smile makeover surgery in Bangalore

Having problems with the appearance of your teeth or oral health issues can cause stress as you may be anxious and embarrassed about these problems. Because of this, it causes stress and increases your mental health issues, thereby affecting your self-esteem. This stress and decreased confidence also impact your quality of life.

How does Mental Health Affect Oral Health?

Many people with mental health disorders engage in activities to cope with these issues. For instance, some people start smoking or drinking to cope and tackle their mental health issues and to feel better. Although these habits are dangerous for health and the body, people use them to manage or forget about their problems temporarily. Remember that these activities provide short relief and do not make your problems disappear. Instead, they exacerbate the problem, causing harm to your oral health and body in general. You must visit the best dental clinic in Bangalore to manage your oral health issues. Similarly, get professional help to address your mental health issues. Dealing with mental problems such as anxiety and depression can impact oral health; it can cause some issues, which are as follows:

  • Dry mouth
  • Low energy
  • Pain
  • Dental phobia or anxiety 
  • Loss of appetite
  • Increase in consumption of sugary drinks
  • Oral health issues due to poor nutrition and eating habits
  • Consumption of alcohol, drugs and smoking

How Can You Prevent Your Oral Health Issues?

As it is always better to prevent the problem before it becomes an issue, you can take steps to improve and effectively manage your oral health. If you are insecure about your smile due to the appearance of your teeth, consider getting smile makeover surgery in Bangalore. Consult a skilled and experienced dentist to manage your oral health. Besides this, you can take other steps to help prevent oral health issues. These steps include the following:

  • Brush and Floss your teeth twice a day thoroughly. Use fluoride toothpaste for brushing.
  • Quit smoking.
  • Stop drinking or limit your consumption of alcohol and sugary drinks.
  • Eat foods that help strengthen your teeth, such as dairy products, fruits and green leafy vegetables.
  • Regularly visit the best dental clinic in Bangalore to manage and prevent dental health problems.

How To Manage Your Mental Health?

Although good mental health can work wonders for the body, if not taken care of, it can also cause severe diseases or problems. Hence, it is vital to take care of your mental health. You can incorporate the following tips daily to improve your mental health. These tips are as follows:

  • Practice Self-Care – You may not realize that self-care is essential for mental health. Sit with yourself, self-introspect, and try to understand what you want, what it is that makes you sad or happy. Analyzing these things will help you have a better understanding of yourself. Do things that benefit you, such as workouts, skincare, hair care, etc. No other thing will make you happy if you do not love yourself. So take the first step to love yourself and see the surroundings change like magic. 
  • Improve your social connections – Connecting with others is another crucial factor in improving mental health. Go out with your friends or family, spend time with them, play games, engage in fun activities, travel and party with them. It can boost your mental health significantly.
  • Consult a doctor – If you suffer from oral health disorders, visit the best dental clinic in Bangalore. However, if you are dealing with mental health issues, you do not need to suffer alone; get professional help from a good doctor. Prioritize your health over other things. It will help manage your mental health problems effectively.
  • Exercise – Exercising makes your body sweat and changes the levels of chemicals such as endorphins, stress hormones, and serotonin. It helps you sleep better and increases your self-esteem. Further, it enables you to manage your mood effectively and elevates your ability to control and cope with situations.
  • Adopt healthy eating habits – Healthy eating can benefit your oral health, gut health, strengthen your immune system and your ability to fight diseases. Also, it aids in better organ functioning, providing you with great health benefits overall. Just make sure you do not overeat, and avoid consuming junk food, oily and processed food. 

Conclusion

Now you know that oral and mental health are related and can impact one another. However, the key takeaway is that oral and mental problems can be treated by contracting and consulting with an expert doctor. Get a smile makeover surgery in Bangalore if you are insecure about it. Similarly, get professional help from a doctor if you want to treat and manage your mental health issues. Taking precautions and practising healthy living can prevent mental and oral health problems and improve your quality of life.

About The Author

Dr. Priya Verma

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