Drafting
This October 10th is celebrated World Mental Health Day. In this context, the Dr. Clara Estebancorporate medical director at Donte Group, serves iHealth to talk about the relationship between mental health and oral health. “Depression and anxiety increase the risk of poor oral health“, he points out. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of a empathic communication by dentists and the need to address mental and oral health together to improve patient care.
How does the dentist approach patients with a mental health problem?
It is a complex issue since it depends on the problem that the patient presents and the phase in which he or she is. In an acute episode of any type of mental health condition, the patient is not in an ideal situation to go to the dentist and this can generate complications if they also have oral pathologies that require treatment.
In our network we serve patients who have some type of chronic mental health condition, which is known to their dentist. The relationship of trust between patient and doctor and the professional’s empathy towards the patient is essential in these cases.
“In an acute episode of any type of mental health condition, the patient is not in an ideal situation to go to the dentist, which can lead to complications”
According to recent studies, a third of the Spanish population admits to having mental health problems. Do you think this situation has had an impact in any way on the prevalence of oral health problems?
It is important to note that many patients with mental health conditions do not go to the dentist for fear of rejection due to their situation, and this causes them to have a higher prevalence of oral health problems than other population groups.
Temporary mental health situations such as episodes of depression or anxiety mean that during these episodes the patient does not go to the dentist and neglects their hygiene habits. Therefore, the risk of deterioration in oral health increases, aggravating situations that were initially easy to redirect and which end up with serious or more difficult to cure dental pathology.
“Many patients with mental health conditions have a higher prevalence of oral problems”
What are the main mental health problems that can negatively influence patients’ oral hygiene?
Those serious mental health conditions that prevent the patient from going to the dentist independently, institutionalized patients or those who require a guardian or a third person to take them to the dentist or those people who require more personalized attention and more dedication on the part of the dentist. clinic equipment, since not all clinics have equipment prepared for this. When a person is going through a depressive or similar phase, just as other facets of life are neglected, the same thing happens with oral health.
The importance of communication with the patient is often talked about. Do you think dentists should spend more time explaining the relationship between oral health and emotional well-being? What has been your experience in this regard?
It is very important for the dentist to be empathetic with the patient and find out, in certain pathologies, what their emotional state is. This will be decisive in the success of oral maintenance and, ultimately, in the success of the multidisciplinary treatment provided to the patient.
“The emotional state of the patient is decisive for the success of oral and multidisciplinary treatment”
In the field of oral health, dental aesthetics has historically been related as something added and that had nothing to do with the patient’s health, but only with aesthetics. Currently, we know the psychological impact on people’s self-esteem and confidence of having a healthy smile and why not say it, a beautiful smile. It is very important for relating and feeling good and dramatically impacts people’s emotional well-being.
Within the framework of World Mental Health Day, what message would you like to convey about the importance of taking care of both mental and oral health together?
Currently, we talk about a person-centered, patient-centered approach to health, a holistic approach. People’s health is unique and all its components, including mental health or emotional well-being and oral health, form an inherent part of people’s overall health. Therefore, it must be valued as a whole and cared for jointly. It is something that health professionals, of all kinds, should take into account from now on, to provide an excellent and professional service to the population.