Health Minister Cassanni Laville has told the public that taking care of their teeth and gums is not only “essential in preventing cavities, gum disease, and bad breath,” but may have far-reaching implications for mental well-being.
His comment came as Dominica joined the rest of the world to observe World Oral Health Day on Thursday.
“As a society, we continue to overlook the link between good oral health and good mental health,” he said during a statement. “We all know that taking care of our teeth and gums is essential in preventing cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.”
He continued, “But have we ever stopped to think about how our oral health affects our minds, emotion, and overall mental well-being?”
Laville pointed out that while some may find it difficult to connect the dots between good oral health and strong mental capacity, it is not that far-fetched.
“This year’s theme reminds us that oral health is not just about having a beautiful smile, it is deeply connected to our self-confidence and the confidence others have in us, which in turn affects our mental well-being,” he stated.
On the other hand, Laville noted that oral health can cause pain, discomfort, and embarrassment which can negatively impact people’s mental state.
Furthermore, he pointed out that studies have shown that people with poor oral health are more likely to experience stress, low self-esteem, and mental health issues.
“Chronic dental pain can make it difficult to focus on daily tasks affecting work, school, and even personal relationships,” he added.
Oral diseases, including dental caries, gum disease, and tooth loss, affected 42% of the WHO African Region’s population in 2021. The region also has the highest number of noma cases, a rapidly progressing, non-contagious gangrenous disease of the mouth that primarily affects young children. If left untreated, noma has a high fatality rate, and survivors often suffer from life-long impairments, disfigurement, stigma, and discrimination.
This year the theme for oral health is: “A Happy Mouth is A Happy Mind.”
we must always remember what our mother tells us….get out of this carbal….she is scared for you…
I need to dump this in your silly pathetic looking face! Bacteria in the mouth is a danger to the human heart; as it has significant effects affecting cardiovascular and ultimately, the brain!
Inflammation from dental bacteria leads to infection of the lining of the heart called (endocarditis); bacteria in one’s mouth can, and has caused clogged arteries, which resulted in heart attacks!
All this crap you talking about chronic dental pain irrelevant, to prevent that one should have tooth cleaning by a dentist at least every four months, and deep cleaning below the gum line as necessary.
Chronic pain means pain that cannot be treated or eliminated!
Shut up, you’re not as smart as think you are;
If you continued to teach oral hygiene in schools as we had in the colonial days, you would not be talking crap about chronic pain not knowing what that is all about!
I would hope that you are taking care of your mouth, as you grin, showing the gap between your tooth. There are dental treatments for that too, all you running your mouth about are elementary. For your information, poor oral hygiene like yours causes germs to reach levels that leads to diseases, not limited to tooth decay and gum disease.
Poor oral, conditions especially periodontist and tooth loss may increase the risk of cognitive decline, dementia: and can lead to heart issues also!
This that l submit is not taken from a script given to me as a politician, to appear to be smart, in other words you are not intelligent enough to deduce that, and am sure not even the Dominica triple doctor, Roosevelt Skerrit has the knowledge to come close to deduce any thesis close to that; all scums of the earth people like you and Roosevelt know how to do is set Dominica, and foreign police on defenseless people shooting them with rubber built and using tear gas as they stand in the street?
I would hope that you are taking care of your mouth, as you grin, showing the gap between your tooth. There are dental treatments for that too, all you running your mouth about are elementary. For your information, poor oral hygiene like yours causes germs to reach levels that leads to diseases, not limited to tooth decay and gum disease.
Poor oral, conditions especially periodontist and tooth loss may increase the risk of cognitive decline, dementia: and can lead to heart issues also!
This that l submit is not taken from a script given to me as a politician, to appear to be smart, in other words you are not intelligent enough to deduce that, and am sure not even the Dominica triple doctor, Roosevelt Skerrit has the knowledge to come close to deduce any thesis close to that; all scums of the earth people like you and Roosevelt know how to do is set Dominica, and foreign police on defenseless people shooting them with rubber built and using tear gas as they stand in the street?
VERY NICE ARTICLE BECAUSE SKERITT SMILE MADE HIM SELL HIS SOUL FOR MONEY AND POSITION.ORAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT