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How Depression Can Affect Your Oral Health

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 280 million people in the world have depression. If you’re one of them, then you’re certainly not alone. While it’s important to be gentle with yourself, it can be helpful to maintain a healthy routine that you enjoy. Not only will this help with your mental health, but it can also prevent negative consequences, like tooth decay and gum disease. To learn how depression impacts your oral health, read on! So, How Does Depression Impact Your Oral Health? In short, there are a few ways! To start, a study published by Nature Communications (a scientific journal) found a link between depressive symptoms and the mouth. Furthermore, patients with depression are likely to develop poor habits at times, including not visiting their dentist for checkups, not brushing and flossing regularly, and eating comfort foods that are high in sugar. For these reasons, awareness is key, and patients should be familiar with a few simple ways to protect their teeth and gums. 4 Ways to Help Protect Your Teeth and Gums If oral hygiene seems overwhelming, try breaking it down into some more manageable steps, like:

• Spend some time outside – Did you know that vitamin D can help boost your mood and benefit your oral health? So, try spending a few minutes outside each morning or afternoon. Extra points for getting some movement in too!

• Fill up on vitamin-rich foods – Filling your plate with healthy fats, lean protein, delicious fruit, and fresh vegetables comes with numerous benefits to both your oral and overall health! If you do feel like indulging in something sweet, try keeping some lower-sugar options in your pantry for convenience.

• Make your at-home oral hygiene routine simple – Remember, “complicated” doesn’t mean “effective.” Start with the basics, like brushing for two minutes in the morning and evening and flossing once a day. Using tools like electric toothbrushes and oral irrigators can help speed up the process too!

• Talk to your dentist – In short, you’re not alone. Your dentist isn’t there to pass judgment; they simply want to help you achieve and maintain a healthy smile! So, keep the lines of communication open. There’s a good chance they will have specific tips and recommendations for you to help make keeping your teeth and gums healthy easy.

Managing depression can feel overwhelming at times, which makes “simple” things like brushing consistently a much bigger undertaking. It’s important to remember that you aren’t alone, and that your dental team is there to provide support where they can. That way, you don’t have to deal with numerous cavities, irritated gums, and other oral health issues on top of everything else!