Mental health: Stress-induced oral health problems

DID you know that in a significant number of cases, dentists are the first medical specialists to recognise and diagnose mental health conditions?

They also naturally send these patients to general practitioners.

It is important to understand that the condition of gums and teeth can provide a broad indication of anxiety, stress level and even eating habits.

Your oral health gives a glimpse into your mental health.

Being mentally healthy is a journey rather than a destination, so if you look closely and carefully, you may be able to uncover the truths about some of the misconceptions passed on to you as a child.

Perhaps you were not aware, something as simple as flossing can immensely benefit your mental health.

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Simply taking care of your oral health can ameliorate mental conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and many other genetic mental disorders.

Stress, dental anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions that are influenced or brought on by external factors can all be avoided by concentrating more on your oral health, depending on the underlying cause.

Neither mental health issues nor dental health issues define a person.

One only goes through these episodes once in their lifetime.

You walk in the rain and feel the rain, but that doesn’t make you soluble; life goes on as it should even when the rainy season ends, demonstrating the soul’s tenacity.

Does the lack of a cure imply that the illness cannot be controlled?

Two variables account for the direct relationship between oral health and mental health:

l Mental illness or mental instability can lead to oral health problems;

l Bad oral health can lead to increased mental instability.

How does mental instability lead to oral health problems?

Stress is the main culprit in mental health that poses so many problems not only in oral health but also in the general well-being of a person.

Too much stress can manifest as different oral problems and most times we are unaware of this.

These problems include mouth sores, bruxism (tooth grinding), (jaw clenching), neck pain as well as pain in the joint (temporomandibular joint) that connects the head and the jaw.

Mouth sores.

In order to comprehend how stress can result in mouth sores, we must first examine how stress impacts our bodies, specifically our immune system.

Stress causes our bodies to go into “fight or flight” mode.

However, chronic stress can result in prolonged elevation of cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which can negatively impact our immune system’s function, among other body systems.

The immune system is essential for maintaining excellent oral health because it helps to fight bacteria and viruses that can cause oral infections.

However, stress compromises the immune system rendering us more vulnerable to oral health problems, such as stress-induced tongue sores, canker sores and cold sores.

Although their exact origin is largely unknown, canker sores are tiny, superficial lesions that form on the soft tissues of your mouth or at the base of your gums.

They typically appear during stressful periods of life.

Cold sores (herpes simplex virus-induced)/ zvidzimu /ngulabusuku as opposed to canker sores usually develop on or around the lips.

Due to the decrease in immune response caused by stress, herpes simplex virus’ activation and breakout can occur.

Stress can have an impact on the tongue as well.

Stress can cause tongue sores, which can be uncomfortable and make it difficult to talk and eat.

It’s critical to distinguish stress-induced sores from other oral health issues.

For example, tongue stress ulcers: The start and duration of mouth ulcers can reveal information about their stress-related nature, even if they may appear identical to other forms of the condition.

Even though most mouth sores go away on their own in a week or two, there are some situations in which you should consult a doctor:

• Should the soreness persist for more than two weeks.
• If the discomfort is severe enough to interfere with day-to-day activities.
• If you have recurring sores.
• If you have a high fever along with the mouth sores.
• If you notice any signs of infection, such as increased redness, swelling or discharge.

  Bruxism (tooth grinding), jaw clenching, neck pain as well as pain in the joint (temporomandibular joint) that connects the jawbone and the skull.

  Bruxism (uncontrolled tooth grinding or clenching of jaws) can occur while asleep (unconscious bruxism) or during stressful situations during the day.

  Bruxism is a physiological process of how your brain copes with stress, it could lead to a number of problems, including lower facial height, dentine exposure from tooth wear that causes tooth sensitivity when eating hot or cold foods, decreased tooth height that causes a decrease in facial height and finally, changes in facial look.

  Bruxism is the most common cause of difficulties with the jaw joint.

  Signs and symptoms of bruxism

  You may have noticed clicking sounds or experienced jaw pain when you open your mouth, hypersensitivity of teeth, spasm of your chewing muscles, sometimes even opening your mouth becomes difficult.

  In order to cure bruxism, dentists first place your jaw back in its natural position, a process known as splint therapy, which can take up to a year.

  After that, they will work on restoring function and appearance.

  The dentist may also prescribe a mouth guard to prevent your teeth from grinding against one another as you sleep.

  Poor mental health — poor oral hygiene

  Being on top of your game and knowing how to manage stress is always important to prevent long-term dental health issues that could cost you a fortune.

  If you don’t know how to manage stress, all of the dental techniques mentioned above may only be temporary.

  When people are under stress and depression, they tend to neglect their oral hygiene, cleaning their teeth for shorter periods or stopping brushing and flossing altogether because they have more important tasks to complete.

  People have different coping mechanisms for stress, such as eating more sugary foods or binge on starchy diets, consuming copious amounts of sadza (maize meal), pasta, rice, etc, to ease them to sleep.

  Some would even resort to drug abuse, including cough syrups such as Histalix and Codeine or Bron Cleer (Bronco) which harm both the subject’s teeth and mental health.

  As you may have heard some of those who abuse these substances saying that when ingesting the syrup, it should not come into contact with the teeth, what they forget is that the ingredients of the syrup alter the conditions in the mouth making them conducive for the bacteria which cause tooth decay.

  The sugar contained in these syrups to reduce bitterness provides nutrition for the bacteria while the acids contained such as citric acid wear the enamel as well increasing the degree of acidity in the mouth promoting bacterial multiplication and the alcohol added to the syrup dries the mouth (xerostomia) further promoting proliferation of bacteria, hence accelerating tooth decay.

  Moreover, they become addicted to the substances and their mental health is compromised such that they cannot function without them.

  Their appearance (especially teeth) degenerates as much as their outlook on life.

  Bad oral health can worsen mental instability.

  The community of microorganisms in the mouth is disrupted by poor dental hygiene, which can lead to gum disease and tooth loss.

  In a compromised mouth environment harmful bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) Streptococcus anginosus easily find their way through lesions and damaged membranes into the bloodstream and reach the brain.

  Brain cell destruction and neuroinflammation (inflammation of nervous tissue) may result from this, greatly increasing chances of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, moderate cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative illnesses.

  The whole health status is therefore impacted.

  Additionally, people who take action towards maintaining their dental health may feel more confident. Insecurity about your smile can lead to social disengagement, anxiety and low self-esteem.

  It’s crucial to preserve your natural teeth since avoiding social situations or hiding your smile in photos can lead to a vicious cycle of negative emotions.

  While having a healthy mouth does not necessarily mean having a “Hollywood grin”, it is essential for having a healthy brain, heart and system.

  Keep in mind that having a healthy grin might give you the confidence to engage with people freely and maintain your mental health intact.