The impact of oral health management on mental health outcomes remains inconclusive

1. In this scoping review, only one study demonstrated a positive association between oral health management and mental health outcomes.

2. However, the remaining studies did not show a significant impact of oral health management on mental health and psychological disease.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Oral health has been implicated in various systemic diseases, such as diabetes and pneumonia, and some have postulated that there may also be a relationship with mental health outcomes. However, there is limited research into the relationship between oral health management and psychological disease. Therefore, the objective of the present scoping review was to evaluate the literature on the impact of oral health management on mental health outcomes.

Of 105 identified records, 3 studies were included from various databases from 2017-2021. Randomized controlled trials that evaluated oral health management in patients with mental health problems were included. Studies were excluded if they were not written in English. The review was performed using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology framework. The risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool Version 2018. The primary outcome was the impact of oral health management on mental health outcomes.

The results found that only one study showed an improvement in mental health outcomes through oral health management. However, this study also integrated psychosocial support as part of the intervention. The remaining studies did not find that oral health management significantly impacted mental health outcomes. Despite these results, the study was limited by the small number of articles analyzed which may have impacted the significance of the findings. Nonetheless, the present study provided an initial framework for future studies to explore the relationship between oral health management and mental health.

Click to read the study in Journal of International Medical Research

Image: PD

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