Dental depression: How poor oral health can affect your mental health

‘A healthy body breeds a healthy mind’ is an adage that rings true throughout the ages.

It doesn’t require a scientific mind to realise that poor physical condition equates to a depressed mental outlook.

This is particularly the case for oral health.

Suffering from constant, nagging and at times excruciating dental pain is as debilitating as any physical ailment. But the effects are far from superficial.

Good oral hygiene depends on regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol, sugary and starchy foods, and smoking.

But what if the effects of poor dental health are more than skin deep?

Studies show oral disease affects 3.9 billion people worldwide, with almost half (44 per cent) of the world’s population suffering from untreated dental health problems.

This makes oral disease the most prevalent of the 291 conditions included in the Global Burden of Disease Study.

Its run-on effect into dental-related depression is exponential.

However, stopping the onset of depression in its tracks is preventable and, at best, avoidable.

Malo Dental can help you achieve a radiant smile from the outside in with a range of dental procedures.

Seniors, in particular, need to ensure that their dental procedures suit the level of tooth decay that is relevant to age and condition.

This is where the revolutionary All-on-4 dental implants procedure helps to ease the physical and mental turmoil of teeth replacement.

The trademarked name derives from the fact that the All-on-4 method only requires the placement of four titanium implants in each jaw to support a new set of teeth.

This ground-breaking dental implant treatment was devised and developed by Dr Paulo Malo and his dental team at the Malo Clinic in Lisbon more than a decade ago.

This revolutionary method does away with the need for bone grafts, which are an ongoing process that can take months to completely heal.

Not only is bone grating a debilitating procedure but only after the bone grafts have healed are the replacement teeth able to be fitted.

The All-on-4 treatment cuts conventional teeth rehabilitation methods, which can be lengthy and arduous, to just a few days.

All-on-4 dental implants are also less invasive, less painful and, therefore, far more likely to stem any untoward mental stress.

Importantly, All-on-4 implants are also designed to look, feel as close to your natural teeth as possible

Tens of thousands of patients throughout the world have benefited from the All-on-4 dental implants procedure.

All-on-4 is an ideal treatment option, to replace dentures or a failing dentition due to gross tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss.

Best-case scenario: While you wait for your prosthesis (bridge), which is performed at one of the world’s leading fixed-prosthesis laboratories, you will leave Malo Dental on the same day and be able to eat, speak and smile with confidence.