YOUR ORAL HEALTH:A REFLECTION OF YOUR MENTAL STATUS

Aside the utterances of a depressed or mentally ill person which is usually incoherent, the oral health through the condition of the oral cavity (mouth) speak volume about the mental status of an individual. With regular dental checkup, a dentist can be helpful in the early diagnosis of mental illness as oral lesions may be the first or only manifestation of a mental health problem.

Findings such as poor oral hygiene, generalized cervical abrasion, erosion of palatal surfaces of teeth, temporomandibular joint dysfuction syndrome, are pointers to mental instability.

Forms of Mental illness

-Anxiety/depression

-Bulimia and anorexia nervosa

-schizophrenia.

-psychosis

others

Common complaints at the dental office

-Bad breathe

-worm in my teeth

-severe pain which does not disturb eating and sleeping

Features of depression

-Increase carbohydrate consumption from decrease serotonin metabolism

-Impaired function of the immune system

-Both depression and antidepressant medication have been associated with xerostomia (Reese, 2003)

Effects of mental illness/medication on oral health

1.     A number of mentally ill present with poor oral hygiene while some engage in scrupulous cleaning. Force is exerted on cleaning the mouth thus causing wearing away of the cervical aspects of teeth, resulting in dentine sensitivity and its sequelae.

2.     Chronic facial pain in form of temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome.

3.     Bad breath where it does not exist (psychogenic halitosis)

4.     Dry mouth (xerostomia) thus superimposed infection, ulceration and mouth odour.

5.     Palatal erosion in condition of bulimia nervosa. Induced vomiting causes the acid from the stomach to dissolve the enamel of the teeth this leads to dentine exposure and its sensitivity.

6.     Antipsychotic drugs predisposes to dry mouth thus hindering the effect of saliva which include ease of swallowing and chewing, antibacterial effect and washing away of food debris.

7.     Caries and periodontal diseases

References

1.     Elter JR, White BA, Gaynes BN, Bader JD (2002): Relationship of clinical depression to periodontal treatment outcome. J Periodontol 73(4):441-9.

2.     Lieutenant Randy Reese (2003): Depression and dental health.Clinical update,vol.25 No 1.