It is often the case that people only give thought to their physical health.

 

Mental health and Oral health are often an after-thought, but here at Defacto Dentists, we want to challenge you to think differently about the way you take care of your overall health!

Poor oral health has been linked with illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes or respiratory disease, which may mediate links with mental health problems.

 

Poor oral health can create mental health issues.

It may be something as simple as feeling self-conscious about your smile. But this can lead to people avoiding social situations such as meeting friends for a meal and refusing to build relationships with others. This can lead to isolation and loneliness, two things that can seriously damage our mental health.

 

The fact of the matter is, that all of our health is interlinked.

If we have poor mental health, our oral health will suffer and so will our physical health. It’s a vicious cycle.

If we make bad choices about our lifestyle habits such as the foods and drinks we consume, our alcohol intake, whether we smoke or not, our teeth suffer. As a result, we may have poor oral health which may leave us in pain or make us feel conscious and uncomfortable in social situations. Without intervention, this continues endlessly and people often find there is no way to make it stop.

We need to re-train our brains to recognise the symptoms of poor mental health. Just because there may be no physical symptoms, doesn’t mean that your body isn’t suffering. Identify the signs of poor mental health here.

Getting help.

If you are struggling with your mental health, there is plenty of help out there available to you. Reaching out for help whether from family, friends or an organisation is the first step to making a change.

 

Below are some brilliant links with great information and contact numbers:

 

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/contact-us OR CALL 116123

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/ OR CALL 0300 123 3393

SeeMe: https://www.seemescotland.org/our-movement-for-change/join-the-movement/

 

If you are concerned about the state of your oral health, the best thing you can do to make a change is to visit your dentist. Some people feel ashamed about the state of their oral health but a dentist is not going to judge you. They are there to provide care, treatment and advice. If you need to find a dentist, you can do so here: www.defactodentists.com