Mental health disorder is a continuum ranging from a severe disorder to minor distress of behavior or mind. The prime target of the health initiative is to enhance the social functioning and health of mentally ill persons (Halpern & Kaste, 2013). Oral health problem contributes to quality of life, general health, and self-esteem. Although it might have a minimal priority in the context of depression, the impact of mental health and treatment of oral health need to be addressed.
Dental Consequences of Depression
Studies indicate that high comorbidity and chronic dental pain are the most commonly recognized dental implications. Literature on chronic pain and depression extends to describe the reciprocal relation between depression and dental pain. Decreased motivation and energy, coupled with negative self-opinions associated with depression might cause a detrimental effect on oral hygiene habits and adherence to treatment interventions (Kandel, 2012). Depressed patients frequently have minimal interest in basic self-care activities. Adverse cognitive distortions worsen the depressive effects making the patients care less about themselves.
Additionally, besides the vegetative impacts of depression, physiological approaches might also affect oral health. Depression is always connected with a declined metabolism of serotonin, which is later linked to the high carbohydrate intake. This lays the foundation for favorable conditions for the development of acidduric bacteria. The existence of a high prevalence of these bacteria indicates the growth and progression of dental caries. The existence of pathogenic bacteria colonization can be caused by impaired functioning of the immune system linked to depression (Niedert & Dorner, 2009).
Persons with a high percentage of symptoms related to depression are prone to suffer periodontitis. It is theorized that neglect of oral hygiene, altered immune response, and increase in smoking facilitates an increase in colonization by pathogenic bacteria. This alters the periodontal attachment. Persons receiving antidepressants might occasionally develop a movement disorder that includes grinding or clenching of the teeth (Dumitrescu, 2010). This will further worsen the periodontal condition. This might happen because these antidepressants increase the levels of extrapyramidal of the serotonin hence...
Dumitrescu (2010) writes:
"The relation between periodontitis and depressive mood, depressive mood, depressive syndrome and depression/major depressive disorder remains largely unknown, although there are a variety of hypotheses. An explanation at the behavioral level might be that depressed patients neglect oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups as a result of reduced drive, mood, affectivity, and interest." (p.251).
Interventions
The regular treatment of depression is antidepressants, which has demonstrated numerous side effects, including those that affect dental teeth. Both antidepressants and depression have been linked to xerostomia. According to research findings, one of the physiological effects of depression is an altered monoamine and endocrine regulatory systems. This contributes to modifications in the nature and amount of salivary production. Depression is partly a dysfunction of neurotransmitter metabolism; thus, antidepressants target this process. Secretion by the salivary glands tends to be mediated by neurotransmitters: as such, these medications regularly have the side effects of decreasing the production of saliva (Ashton, 2013).
Researchers describe the impacts of antidepressants on blood circulation to the granular cells. It alters the filtration and metabolism process. Anticholinergic drugs reduce the secretion. Although the side effects are temporary, it might not reduce the production of saliva. There is a multitude of potential sequellae of drug-induced hyposalivation such as thirst, a sensation of oral dryness, and an increase in incidents of oral infection including periodontal disease (Dumitrescu, 2010). Dental caries might be observed in persons taking antidepressants. Medical practitioners must always diagnose a burning sensation in the mouth triggered by an oral infection with a burning mouth syndrome. Despite the common impacts of anticholinergic drugs, the association between possible oral infection and hyposalivation, studies quantifying this link has yielded conclusive findings. There is a relationship between sub-median periodontal treatment outcome (SMPTO) and depression. Symptoms of depression have been associated with periodontal status, dental caries and a number of teeth issues among a sample of fifty-year-old patients in…
