How Oral Health Affects Your Mental Health?

Many studies have been done on how oral health relates to overall physical health. However, not much emphasis has been given to the connection between oral health and mental health. 

Oral health affects a person’s mental health just as much as it does to their overall health. Hence, we will shed more light on it.

How Does Depression Come Into the Picture?

Individuals who undergo depression tend to give lesser importance to their dental hygiene due to self-neglect. This can significantly affect them by giving way to oral concerns such as cavities, gum disease, chronic bad breath, etc. 

In many cases, depression would be associated with alcohol abuse, excessive smoking, or the use of drugs. These can lead to increased occurrence of cavities, erosion of the enamel, staining of the teeth, and even oral cancer.

What Is Dental Phobia?

Many individuals feel too anxious to visit the dentist due to the misconception that all dental procedures would be painful. Also, the sight of all the sophisticated dental equipment may make them nervous. 

Because of this, many patients skip their dental appointments and leave their oral concerns unattended. This can worsen the conditions and make them more difficult to treat in the advanced stages. 

If you feel dental phobia, discuss your fears with your dentist. They would be able to suggest a suitable solution like using mild sedatives.

How Does a Good Smile Affect Your Confidence?

A great smile can increase your confidence levels several-fold. It enhances your facial features, thereby making you look more pleasing.  

However, maintaining an attractive smile takes some doing. You need to:

• Do regular brushing and flossing
• Avoid excessive consumption of colored foods
• Quit smoking and chewing tobacco 

The better you maintain oral hygiene, the easier it is to get an attractive smile. This in turn would influence your confidence levels when you socialize with people.

How Can We Help?

Imagine having a missing front tooth or extremely dull and discolored teeth that just ruin your smile. Such oral concerns are quite obvious and can lead to frequent embarrassment. Over time, they can lead to a significant loss of confidence. 

As cosmetic dentists, we will look into these concerns in detail and draw out a suitable treatment plan. It could include the use of 

• Dental-grade ceramic restorations
• Using surface applicants like whitening gels 
• Grafting tissues
• Changing the alignment of the teeth

Please reach out to Picacho Dental to schedule a consultation with our dentist, and we’ll guide you further. Please call us at (928) 344-3177 or reach us through online consultation.