Mental health may affect not just mood but oral health, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Oral Health.
Researchers analyzed data from 650 adults, assessing the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms alongside oral health-related quality of life. The team used the internationally recognized PHQ-9, GAD-7 and OHIP-14 questionnaires.
Stronger symptoms, worse ratings
The results showed that the more pronounced the symptoms of depression and anxiety, the worse participants rated the condition of their teeth and gums, as well as how oral health problems affected their daily lives. The strongest link appeared among those with severe depression and severe anxiety.
Lower oral health scores were also more common among people over 45 and among participants with a middle-level family income.
Call for dentists to screen patients
The researchers said dentists should take patients' psychological state into account, and suggested that assessing anxiety and depression could become part of a comprehensive approach to preventing and treating oral disease.
Scientists have previously found that chewing gummies containing beneficial bacteria can reduce gum bleeding.
