What If I told you that getting dental implants can improve your mental health? Would you believe me?
Sure, you might think that getting implants are going to improve oral health, but your mental state…really!
In this post we’ll talk about the relationship between poor oral health and how undergoing dental implant treatment can make a huge difference to your overall well-being, including your mental state. So let’s begin…
Why do patients want dental implants?
Typically patients who talk to us about dental implants are experiencing 3 main problems…
- They’re unhappy about the appearance of their teeth
- They can no longer properly chew food, or
- They’re long-term denture wearers who are desperate for something more secure.
With these factors in mind, it’s important to take a look at each problem in turn and see how they each affect our overall well-being.
Appearance of teeth
I’m sure we all know about the benefits of a great-looking smile. It boosts confidence, projects an air of trustworthiness, and can even make us appear more attractive. Conversely, when we’re unhappy with the state of our teeth, it can be embarrassing when we have to speak, smile or meet anyone new.
So what do we do when we feel uncomfortable about our teeth?
We remove ourselves from having to face such a situation.
In some cases, poor dentition can make someone who was once confident and outgoing, feel withdrawn with low self-esteem.
But that’s not all… There’s the science behind smiling…
Every time we smile it releases dopamine and serotonin. While serotonin is the body’s natural stress buster, dopamine accompanies it by creating a natural high. Collectively, these neurotransmissions make us feel happier.
Naturally, when we shy away from smiling we don’t get those instant hits of serotonin and dopamine. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that low levels of dopamine and serotonin are associated with depression.
Given this information, it probably isn’t such a far jump to see how restoring a smile with dental implants can change your oral health and your overall mood.
While that explains one problem, what about the next one?
Inability to chew food
Being able to enjoy the food we love is so important to a fulfilling life. But imagine being restricted to a diet of softer foods, not through choice, but out of necessity!
It’s easy to see how it could affect your mental wellbeing. When eating out with friends – one of life’s great pleasures becomes off limits – or at best, extremely restricted. It can lead to or trigger, sustained periods of non-socialisation. When this happens, it can again, impact mental health.
As Aristotle said… “We humans are social creatures who rely on and thrive in the presence of others”.
Of course, non-socialisation is only a small part of an inability to chew food, the bigger problem is malnutrition.
We know that those people who have lost multiple teeth are at greater risk of malnutrition but research suggests that any interventions that improve nutrition like dental implants also improve mental wellbeing.
If you think about it, the mouth is essentially the window to our digestive system. The inability to properly chew food means that maximum nutrients aren’t always extracted and taken into the body. This can lead to malnutrition, amongst other things.
Conversely, when proper chewing is restored it can improve digestive health and by default, overall mental health.
But what about if you currently wear dentures? Surely, they restore chewing too?
Absolutely! But this brings us to problem number three…
the issue of long-term dentures
Even though conventional dentures improve the look of a smile and the functionality of teeth in the short term, wearing dentures in the long term is not ideal.
Why?
Because it comes with its own set of unique problems. Primarily…
- Comfort (or rather, the lack of it), and
- instability
You see when dental implants are placed, they’re anchored deep into the jawbone. Over time the surrounding bone tissue fuses with the implant to create a super strong platform. Unfortunately, conventional dentures are designed to sit on the jawline and be supported by the alveolar bone. When the alveolar bone starts to diminish – and it will after tooth loss – the once snug denture no longer fits. As a result, it becomes loose and starts to shift in the mouth.
Not only is this extremely embarrassing – imagine being in the middle of a meal with friends – but it can also become uncomfortable, as the denture starts to rub the inside of the mouth.
To back this up, an independent study stated that only 5% of those people surveyed were totally happy with their dentures. The bulk of the problems were down to poor fit leading to discomfort.
Understandably, month after month of wearing ill-fitting dentures is likely to take its toll mentally. With over 40 million Americans over the age of 65 wearing dentures, it’s easy to see how this is a really big problem for many people.
Alternatively, dental implants not only remain stable in the mouth as a permanent fixture, but they also prevent the bone from shrinking further, so no more bone loss!
Moreover, while most denture wearers are known to undertake dietary restrictions, those who have undergone dental implant procedures are free to eat their favorite foods without issue.
Hopefully, you can now see how dental implants improve mental well-being – albeit, in a roundabout way!
Dental implants and mental health – The key takeaway
If you’re someone who is already suffering from these problems you’ll be very conscious of the impact your current oral situation is having on your overall and mental health.
Alternatively, If you know someone with multiple missing teeth, you’ll know how living with these issues can impact their ability to eat properly, socialize and remain confident and happy.
So, while dental implants are clearly not a cure for all mental health problems, they can make a huge difference to someone’s quality of life, not just now, but for many years in the future.
Imagine having the confidence to go out with friends, eat socially and sample some amazing foods. That has to improve anyone’s general outlook on life, right?
Want to know more about how dental implants can fix more than just your smile? Schedule a consultation with the team at Mint Dental today and find out how our state-of-the-art implant restorations can change your life. Call us on (907) 891 7798
