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Section 5: Pain, Mental Illness, Substance Use, and Oral Health (Text Alternative)

Icon representing a tooth.

Mental health remains an important public health concern and closely linked to oral health. Severe mental illness can hinder access to oral healthcare, and some medications for mental illness can cause dry mouth which affects the oral microbiome and can contribute to dental problems.

Icon representing adults.

About 1 in 4 U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2019.

Icon representing various substances such as alcohol and medication.

National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Regional Map Image (Text Alternative)

United States map image depicting six regional Nodes:

Western Node

  • Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii

Midwest Node

  • North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio

South Central Node

  • Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama

Southwest Node

Creepy Crawlies on the Teeth
Caught on camera: bacterial-fungal clusters “walking” on tooth-like surfaces to rapidly form dental plaque. The findings could provide insights into interventions for tooth decay.