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| A Happy Mouth is a Happy Life! | | | Dr Bhavneet Kaur
Every year on 20th March, World Oral Health day is celebrated to create awareness in the society regarding the benefits of a healthy mouth. The theme of this year’s world oral health day ‘A happy mouth is a happy life’ focuses on reframing the conversations around oral health. What do we mean by a happy mouth and what is the mouth-mind connection that can create happiness in life?
As dental professionals we understand the implications of oral health on the physical as well as psychological well-being of individuals . As this year’s theme has an engaging message rooted in understanding the importance of maintaining optimal oral health for attaining a happy life, let us all know that Oral health care is not just a clinical dental concern. It is an essential part in the overall mental and emotional health of an individual .
Oral health conditions like gum disease, tooth pain , tooth loss, tooth stains, dental decay, broken teeth, bad breath, tooth mal-alignments and various other dental conditions have been reported to impact significantly the overall happiness quotient contributing more to depression, anxiety, social isolation, stress and diminished self-esteem in both the individuals having the disease and their family members who are facing how to deal with such diseases.
Let us also know that it is commonly seen that the rate with which certain dental conditions like rampant caries and early childhood caries starts involving the entire dentition with added oral complications, often becomes a root cause of many parental stress and concerns. So with this year’s world oral day theme ‘A happy mouth is a happy life’, we need to comprehend - Does your mouth hold the key to a happy life?
Let us understand that it has been widely documented that ‘Health’ is identified as one of the most significant parameters for determining a happy life. Healthy living and a healthy body is considered to be a foundation for a happy life. For achieving this parameter the onus remains on us to know that the mouth is a gateway to our body and an index of our mind. Awareness is essential to know this correlation. If we don’t take care of the gateway to our body, if we start ignoring oral hygiene and start feeding ourselves with junk food regularly then we are surely inviting problems compromising our happiness index in life.
Our oral health reflects our commitment towards happiness. Regular toothbrushing, flossing, eating the right kind of food, refraining from smoking/tobacco and other substance abuse etc is just not an oral care routine but also a reflection of a healthier lifestyle choice. Various signs of nutritional deficiencies, systemic diseases like diabetes, HIV etc can also be easily identified through looking at one’s oral health condition so a healthy mouth is a step towards a healthy life.
If you don’t brush and floss regularly to keep your teeth clean, dental plaque can build up creating an environment for additional bacteria to accumulate on the tooth surfaces and in the space between your gums and your teeth. This multiplication of organisms can lead to various infections in the mouth. Left unchecked, such inflammations can often lead to more serious problems like rampant caries, generalized periodontitis, acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, also known as trench mouth, severe pain, swelling of the face etc . Long-term dental infections can eventually result in not only the loss of teeth but recent research suggests that more severe the oral infections in the mouth greater is the risk of developing atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries, possibly increasing your risk of even more serious health issues like a heart attack or stroke.
Literature research has also estimated that preterm low birth weight babies born may be attributed to oral infections. It has been reported that the oral bacteria release toxins, which may even cross the placenta through the mother’s bloodstream and interfere with the growth and development of the fetus or produce labor-triggering substances too quickly, potentially triggering premature labor and birth. So if you didn’t already have enough reasons to take good care of your mouth, knowing the relationship between your oral health and your overall health can help.
It is interesting to note that many times people become aware of their hidden psychological problems only after a dental visit. It is documented that most of the various oral habits such as lip biting, finger sucking, bruxism, etc have a deep rooted psychological etiology. Sometimes even a simple fracture of teeth can reveal the most ugly face of social problems such as physical abuse which can be brought to the concerned authorities to save an innocent life .
The mouth- mind connection becomes also more significant to understand when the person is already immune-compromised. Certain medications reduce salivary flow or disrupt the normal balance of bacteria in the mouth which can further compromise the mouth’s normal defenses, allowing at times multiplication of other microbes such as growth of fungal infections, commonly called oral thrush that may further impair one’s overall mental health. It is a fact that an unhealthy mouth can potentially aggravate other medical conditions as well. For example, for a diabetic, a mouth infection can alter your blood-sugar levels and make your diabetes harder to control, adding to the mental stress. So resolving to practice good oral hygiene every day is the key to optimal health and focusing on keeping your mouth happy will ultimately also do wonders to keep your mind free from any unwanted added stress.
Now think of the iconic phrase ‘ say cheese’ used before posing for a picture depicting happiness. Let us understand, when we keep our mouth cleaner and healthier it certainly impacts our appearance. Aesthetics these days has become a huge part of self-esteem, making one feel more confident and sociable. Believe it or not, research has found that the smile-mind connection is real. It is often seen that after getting dental cleanups professionally one gets more inclined to laugh and smile. Research has further proven that even a simple act of smiling or laughing triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, which in turn relieves anxiety, boosts immunity and increases happy feelings. So yes, if the mouth is fresh and happy, the mind is happy too!
Also understand that for the mind to stay active and happy one needs to have a constant sense of accomplishment of tasks. It is often seen that in advancing age or in poor mental health conditions doing things many times becomes daunting. It has been documented in the literature that by even a simple technique like toothbrushing daily, one actually increases the chances of getting a valuable serotonin boost by completing these simple tasks on a daily basis which validates the feeling of self sufficiency in such individuals adding to their confidence and happiness. So yes, a happy mouth is a happy life.
So to put it simply, happiness and oral health care is a two way process as the mouth-mind connection exists! So next time whenever you need a little boost of happiness don’t forget to take care of your oral cavity, pamper it by cleaning it daily, nurture it by eating a good balanced diet and hydrate it nicely by drinking sufficient water. Stay away from cold drinks and junk food, say no to smoking/tobacco use and visit your dentist regularly . Always remember, a happy mouth is a happy life!
(The author is Consultant at Govt Hospital Gandhinagar, Jammu) |
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