If you follow the news, you’ll hear all about how depression disrupts emotional health, social health, and so on. Feelings of emptiness and social isolation are fairly obvious symptoms of a low mood. That said, being depressed doesn’t just shape your emotions and relationships. Research now shows that depression affects your oral health, often in very harmful ways. For details on this smile-related finding, look over this summary from your local Derby dentist.
Depression Ruins Oral Health
As it turns out, depression triggers several factors that damage your grin. These include the following:
Poor Oral Hygiene
You know how depression can sap you of willpower and motivation? Well, this effect makes you less likely to look after your teeth and gums. Depressed people often see brushing and flossing as pointless, leading to poor oral hygiene that increases one’s risk of cavities, gum disease, etc. Adding insult to injury, depression may make you retreat from regular dental visits.
Bad Diet
Just as someone may neglect hygiene while depressed, they may also fail to eat well. Many with poor mental health cope by binging on comfort foods – items high in sugar, carbs, and so on. In doing so, they put themselves at greater risk of tooth decay and oral infections.
Dry Mouth
In recent years, studies have found a connection between depression and salivary flow. It seems depressed people don’t produce as much saliva as non-depressed people. Since saliva protects teeth, this finding suggests depression causes dry mouth – a known contributor to cavities and the like.
Protecting Smiles from Depression
Given the points above, it’s crucial that you protect your smile from depression. Do so by sticking to the following tips:
- Consult Your Dentist: If your depression makes it hard to brush, talk to your dentist about the issue. They may have ideas that’d help you through rough patches.
- Make Hygiene Easier: Brushing and flossing feel less draining when they’re part of consistent routines. So, include these habits in a daily self-care schedule.
- Get Outside More: Vitamin D from sunlight reduces depression symptoms, even as it benefits enamel. Therefore, try to get outdoors more often.
- Find Professional Help: For lasting help, talk to your physician (or a mental health professional) about your depression. They can put you in touch with resources like therapy, medications, etc.
Depression clearly affects oral health, so don’t let it degrade your smile. Use the guidance above to boost your mood and grin alike!
About the Practice
Illuminate Family Dentistry is based in Derby, KS. Led by Dr. Rachel Clark, our practice spares no effort to give each patient excellent, customized, and friendly dental care. We always tailor our treatments to your smile’s specific needs, whether you’re getting a dental checkup or emergency oral services. With that said, you can trust our team to enhance your grin! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (316)-847-7730.