Oral health and mental health: unsuspected links revealed

Led by Dr. Alex Kalaigian of the University of California, San Francisco, this work shows the link between the presence of oral problems in patients suffering from a mental health problem. This study was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of AADOCR, the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research, held March 15-18 in Portland, Illinois. Oregon

Three categories of disorders

For this work, the scientist looked at the data self-reported by the volunteers included in a study called Path, more than 26,000 people. He classified the different mental health symptoms, distinguishing between problems characterized by an internalization of symptoms (such as stress or anxiety), by an externalization of symptoms (such as violent behavior) and those related to substance use.

At the same time, he classified oral health problems into six categories:

• self-assessed oral health;
• Bleeding gums;
• Movable teeth;
• Loss of teeth;
• gum disease;
• Bone loss.

More problems in anxious people

By comparing the survey-weighted prevalence of the six oral health outcomes according to the severity of mental health problems, the results show the presence of higher levels of oral disease in patients with mental disorders. .

For example, the risk of bone loss around the teeth was 1.79 times higher for people with type “high internalization“compared to those who do not. Ditto for the risk of bleeding gums, 1.40 times higher.

For the researcher, independent of problems with externalizing and substance use, mental health problems characterized by internalizing symptoms constitute a plausible risk factor for future oral health problems. important information for health professionals who will be able to implement prevention and specific monitoring for these patients.