There has been a great deal of interest in physical and psychological comorbidity, but until recently, less on the impact of mental ill-health on oral health. This is despite oral health being an important aspect of overall well-being that is also linked to many other chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This is partly attributable to shared social determinants and common risk factors including tobacco or alcohol but also because poor oral health causes intermittent bacteraemia and secondary immune complexes that result in inflammatory responses in arteries and distal organs. The most common dental diseases are caries (tooth decay) and periodontal (gum) diseases. People with mental health conditions especially severe mental illness (SMI) are at greater risk due to difficulties with self-care or access to dental care, lifestyle, or as a side effect of psychotropic medications (mainly dry mouth). Given the bidirectional relationship between oral health and mental health, neglecting dental disease may compromise recovery from mental illness.
This session will:
- Present recent research on the physical and mental health impacts of oral health inequalities in people with mental illness
- Present the Right-To-Smile Consensus Statement to support the oral health of people with mental illness that argues for a collaborative response across services to tackle this neglected health inequality
- Provide advice to clinicians on improving oral health in this population and describe co-designed theory-driven oral health interventions and training for mental health workforce
- Discuss the lived experience of people caring for someone with mental illness and the impact of poor oral health on daily life
- Highlight the work of the RCPsych to improve physical health and life expectancy of people with mental illness.
Learning objectives
By attending this session you will:
- Understand the physical and mental health impacts of oral health inequalities experienced by people with mental illness
- Gain insights into why this matters from a carers perspective, embodied in The Right To Smile Consensus Statement
- Understand available co-designed theory-driven oral health interventions and training for mental health workforce
- Describe next steps undertaken by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to support oral health and tackle health inequalities amongst people with mental illness.
Speakers
Chair: Dr Ed Beveridge, North London Mental Health Partnership, London, Presidential Lead for Physical Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
Dr David Shiers, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, Primary Care and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Keele
Professor Steve Kisely, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, Chair, West Pacific Division, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Brisbane, Australia
Dr Easter Joury, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Royal London Dental Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
Availability
This webinar is part of the Congress webinar 2025 package. If you attended all four days of Congress, you will have access to these as part of your Congress package. Otherwise the Congress webinar 2025 package can be purchased below.
