Mental wellness and oral health are connected

Mental health may impact oral health, and vice versa. Offering a mental wellness solution as well as dental insurance supports well-being across this connection, by helping employees and their families create better outcomes in work and life.

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Create a cycle of better outcomes

Mental health challenges can impact oral health

Sometimes, simply thinking about going to the dentist can cause anxiety and dental phobia. If mental health challenges go unaddressed, a cycle of unhealthy oral health outcomes can emerge, and vice versa.

  • Individuals with mental health conditions experience higher rates of oral diseases—including cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss.¹

  • People with mental disorders have a higher prevalence of several chronic physical health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases - which are often associated with oral disease.²

  • People with severe mental health conditions are more prone to oral disease due to poor oral hygiene, dental phobia, dental costs, and difficulty accessing care.³

Give employees tools to help support their mental wellness

Just like dental insurance provides overarching support for oral health, a dedicated mental wellness solution helps to support employees across a wide range of mental health needs.

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Dental visits can reveal signs of mental health issues

Even with no outward symptoms, dentists can identify signs of stress, anxiety, and other mental health conditions during dental exams. Oral issues that can indicate stress include:

  • Jaw issues

    Disorders of the jaw joint or chewing muscles can cause pain around the ear or face.⁴

  • Teeth grinding, or "bruxism"

    Teeth grinding can happen during the day when a patient is concentrating, or late at night. And it can be a sign of increased stress.⁵

  • Oral infections or sores

    Often brought on by stress, these infections can show up as ulcers, white lines, or white or red spots in the mouth.⁶

  • Decreased immune response

    This can show up as periodontal (gum) disease, and is also caused by stress.⁷

Create better outcomes with personalized, precise mental wellness benefits

When time is of the essence, employees and their families need more than traditional mental health care methods. A dedicated mental wellness solution addresses a broad spectrum of needs, quickly.

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1 The association between oral health and mental health, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oral-health/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1610146/full, June 2025

2 BMJ Mental Health report: Relationship between severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity: a meta-analysis and call for action; 2023

3 The association between oral health and mental health, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oral-health/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1610146/full, June 2025

4 Oral Health in America, Dept. of Health & Human Services, December 2021

5 ibid

6 ibid

7 ibid

Mental wellness benefits discussed herein are provided by Spring Care, Inc., d/b/a Spring Health (“Spring Health”), 60 Madison Avenue, Floor 2, New York, NY 10010. Spring Health is not an insurance benefit. Insured products are offered by The Guardian Life Insurance Company, New York, N.Y. (“Guardian”) which has a financial interest in Spring Health.

DentalGuard Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-DG2000, et al; GP-1-DEN-16; DG7-P. The state approved form is the governing document.