New report finds growing link between mental, oral health

A report released during Mental Health Awareness Month in May highlights the growing link between mental and oral health.

According to a press release from national nonprofit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, the report is based on a growing body of research from CareQuest’s 2022 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey as well as other scientific literature. It highlights eight findings that show how mental health and oral health are connected.

Among the findings, adults with severe depression are more than twice as likely to report they do not brush their teeth at least twice a day; adults with depression report flossing their teeth less often than those without depression; individuals with depression visit the dentist significantly less often than those without depression; adults with poor mental health (including depression) are more likely to have one or more unmet oral health need and are less likely to seek care for these needs; depression is linked to higher levels of decay; and young adults with a history of depression are more likely to have extended use of opioid prescriptions after wisdom tooth removal than those without depression.

“We know that depression can significantly affect an individual’s emotional well-being and overall functioning,” Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, president and CEO of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, said in the release. “This Mental Health Awareness Month, we are highlighting a growing body of research that shows that our emotional state is also connected to our oral health and why it’s so important to integrate oral health into broader, overall health strategies.”