When you speak, your brain clearly controls your mouth. It tells you what to say and how you feel. However, did you know that your mouth can have a profound impact on your brain? As one of the most common diseases in the world, advanced gum disease afflicts around 50 percent of the adult population over the age of 30 in the United States, and it is the leading cause of adult tooth loss worldwide. Although ignoring this “minor” mouth infection may be tempting, you put your mental and overall health at risk. Keep reading to learn how poor oral health can mess with your brain and lead to negative thoughts and feelings.
You Can Feel Self-Conscious about Tooth Loss.
One of the major, ultimate results of untreated gum disease is tooth loss. Having highly noticeable gaps in your smile can attract the wrong kind of attention and stigma, making you feel self-conscious about smiling or talking in front of others. As a result, you may develop symptoms of social anxiety or depression.
When mental health struggles enter the picture, oral care can suffer even more. For example, if you feel sad, chances are you won’t want to take even two minutes to brush your teeth, much less floss them. As a consequence, oral health problems can continue to get worse and worse.
Harmful Bacteria Can Spread to the Brain.
Anecdotally, many people have come forward to share their experiences and self-esteem issues after they’ve lost teeth, but scientific research also backs up the idea that gum disease can negatively impact your emotional and mental health by affecting the brain itself. Many studies in recent decades have focused on why there is such a strong correlation between gum disease and systemic conditions and have identified one common thing that could be to blame: bacteria.
The strain that causes gum disease raises inflammation, not only in the mouth but potentially elsewhere in the body. As a result, when gums bleed from the infection, these bacteria can travel to other areas and increase inflammation and damage there as well. In fact, research has indicated many times that the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, and even some forms of cancer are substantially raised when a patient has untreated gum disease. Mental health struggles follow this same correlation.
Solutions: Prevention and Treatment
By and large, gum disease is much easier and safer to avoid than to treat because once damage is done, it cannot be reversed. Lost jawbone tissue doesn’t come back and often requires a graft to take advantage of dental implants for replacement. Prevention is surprisingly simple because it typically requires just brushing and flossing your teeth every day and visiting your dentist for a checkup and cleaning regularly.
Although treatments like gum disease treatment, bone grafts, dental implants, and other repairs do exist to address what you lose in this infection, it is healthier, cheaper, faster, and just plain better to avoid having to rehabilitate your smile at all. Avoid gum disease entirely or have it treated as soon as possible to keep your mental health and your smile strong.
If you care about your mental health, then it’s time to make oral hygiene and care a priority, just as much as sleep, good nutrition, regular exercise, and other mood-boosting habits. The better you feel about yourself, the better you can care for your smile, and the more control you have over bacteria in your body, the more confidently you can show off your smile.
About the Practice
Williamsburg Dental is dedicated to the health and safety of Lincoln patients. We value each person who comes to us and focus on comfort, well-being, and satisfaction. Our dentists are available at six locations throughout the city, so you can find a nearby office easily accessible. If you have questions or concerns about gum disease, we invite you to reach out to one of our locations or our website here. We look forward to hearing from you soon!