People with poor mental health face many challenges. One that’s perhaps lesser known is that they’re more likely than the overall population to have poor oral health.
Research has shown people with serious mental illness are four times more likely than the general population . They’re nearly three times more likely to have lost all their teeth such as gum disease and tooth decay.
Serious mental illnesses include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and psychotic disorders . These conditions affect .
People living with schizophrenia have, on average, that are decayed, missing or filled than the general population.
So why does this link exist? And what can we do to address the problem?
Why is this a problem?
Oral health problems are and can make it hard for people to eat, socialise, work or even just smile.
What’s more, dental issues can land people in hospital. Our research shows dental conditions are the reason for preventable hospital admissions among people with serious mental illness.
Meanwhile, is linked with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and even . This is because the bacteria associated with gum diseases can cause inflammation throughout the body, which affects .
Why are mental health and oral health linked?
Poor mental and oral health share common risk factors. Social factors such as isolation, unemployment and housing insecurity can worsen both .
For example, increases the risk of . This can be due to financial difficulties, reduced access to oral health care, or potential changes to diet and hygiene practices.
At the same time, can , due to stigma, discrimination, dental pain and associated long-term health conditions.
It’s clear the relationship between oral health and mental health goes both ways. Dental disease can reduce self-esteem and . Meanwhile, symptoms of mental health conditions, such as low motivation, can make engaging in good oral health practices, including brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist, .
And like many people, those with serious mental illness can experience about going to the dentist. They may also have experienced trauma in the past, which can make visiting a dental clinic .
Separately, poor oral health can be made worse by some medications for mental health conditions. Certain medications can interfere with saliva production, that covers the teeth. Some may also , which heightens the risk of tooth decay.
Our research
In a recent study, young people with mental illness. Our findings show the significant personal costs of dental disease among people with mental illness and highlight the relationship between oral and mental health.
Smiling is one of our best ways to communicate, but we found people with serious mental illness were sometimes embarrassed and ashamed to smile due to poor oral health.
One participant told us:
[poor oral health is] not only [about] the physical aspects of restricting how you eat, but it’s also about your mental health in terms of your self-esteem, your self-confidence and basic wellbeing, which sort of drives me to become more isolated.
Another said:
for me, it was that serious fear of — God my teeth are looking really crap and in the past they’ve [dental practitioners] asked, “Hey, you’ve missed this spot; what’s happening?”. How do I explain to them, hey, I’ve had some really shitty stuff happening and I have a very serious episode of depression?
What can we do?
Another of our recent studies focused on improving oral health awareness and behaviours among young adults experiencing . We found a brief online oral health education program improved participants’ oral health knowledge and attitudes.
Improving oral health can result in improved mental wellbeing, and quality of life. But achieving this isn’t always easy.
Limited Medicare coverage for dental care means oral diseases are , particularly among people . By this time, more invasive treatments, such as removal of teeth, .
It’s crucial the health system takes a holistic approach to caring for people experiencing serious mental illness. That means we have mental health staff who ask questions about oral health and dental practitioners who are trained to manage the unique oral health needs of people with serious mental illness.
It also means increasing government funding for oral health services — promotion, prevention and improved interdisciplinary care. This includes better collaboration between oral health, mental health and peer and informal support sectors.
, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Psychology, ; , Professor of Mental Health, ; , Research Fellow, Griffith Research Centre for Mental Health, ; , Professor & Head of Dentistry and Oral Health, and , Professor, School of Medicine,
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .
link