Nigel Carter explains the practical and psychological benefits of oral health.
From the moment we qualify as dental professionals, keeping our patients’ mouths healthy is our utmost priority. Ensuring that all patients are free of pain and oral disease is just as important for our professional wellbeing as it is for maintaining our patients’ oral health-related quality of life.
During National Smile Month, we are educating patients about their mouths. By giving patients the opportunity to learn about why their mouths are so important, we can increase the perceived rewards of having good oral health and improve their oral care habits.
Functions of the mouth
The mouth has two main functions – eating (and drinking) and speaking. Both of these are essential for day-to-day life, and to perform them, the mouth needs to be in good working condition.
The digestive tract starts at the mouth. Digestion begins as soon as food is chewed by the teeth and moistened by saliva.
Healthy teeth are needed to break down solid food. A responsive tongue can also help push it towards the back of the mouth where it can be swallowed. A small flap of skin called the epiglottis closes over the trachea to direct food into the oesophagus and stomach.
Speaking requires the mouth to perform an incredibly tough combination of tasks in exactly the correct sequence. When the vocal cords vibrate, this creates sound. The exact sound made depends on how tight the vocal cords are and at what force the air is moving.
Tongue and lip movement is vital for helping the mouth to produce sounds. It also needs involvement from the palate.
An emotional toll
While the physical problems associated with an unhealthy mouth are easy to understand, the lesser-known impact is on our mental wellbeing.
Psychologists have found people can improve their mood by smiling. Even if they don’t feel happy, smiling can make part of the brain surge with the endorphins that cause happiness.
People find a healthy smile to be an attractive smile. On the flipside, people who have unhealthy mouths may experience negative feelings and be judged less positively by others.
Scientists have previously found that two thirds of people (66%) said their oral health was important to their overall appearance. And almost half said healthy teeth and gums are important for improved confidence (43%) and romantic relationships (42%).
Research at the Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Dental Institute also confirmed that people do make judgements about people’s social and intellectual abilities based on the appearance of their teeth. People with decayed and discoloured teeth were considered to have lower social, intellectual and psychological levels.
The researchers concluded that these sorts of judgements may lead to social exclusion, as people often make snap judgements about a person based on their teeth. This is true even when there is no other verbal information to inform the decision.
Impact of compromised oral health
Poor gum health, decayed teeth and missing teeth are just some of the problems that can prevent patients from having the ability to use their mouths for day-to-day tasks. For others, it may mean they are in pain or discomfort while carrying out these functions.
A person who has missing teeth or unhealthy gums may find it difficult to chew and may even have difficulty speaking. In the long term, this can have a negative impact on an individual’s general wellbeing and psychological health.
Low self-esteem and lack of confidence can cause a person to become withdrawn and depressed, as they may feel uncomfortable smiling, talking, eating in public and meeting new people.
National Smile Month is the perfect opportunity to educate patients on how to effectively care for their mouths. It is easy to make up displays in your practices to help with this. Why not put up a National Smile Month display in your waiting room or reception?
We can help you with this – if you go to the National Smile Month website (www.smilemonth.org), there are posters and downloads available to print and display.
Pictures of healthy gums and teeth or suggestions for tooth-friendly foods and snacks will help patients to understand the importance of looking after their mouths and giving them the respect they deserve.
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