Mind the mouth: Are doctors doing inadvertent harm by not learning about dentistry and oral health?

Background

Oral and mental health are closely linked, yet Australia's healthcare system continues to treat them in silos - particularly to the detriment of its most vulnerable populations.Analysis: People living with mental illness face a significantly increased risk of oral diseases, including dental caries, periodontitis, and oral lesions, which concurrently worsen their mental health conditions. Despite strong evidence of this bidirectional relationship, oral health remains largely absent from mental health policy, psychiatric care pathways, and medical education frameworks. Equally, mental health remains largely absent from dental education frameworks. Current clinical training lacks sufficient integration across disciplines, limiting the capacity of clinicians to provide holistic, patient-centred care.

Conclusions

To reduce health inequities and improve long-term outcomes, coordinated policy action is needed to embed oral health in mental healthcare delivery, promote interdisciplinary education, and prioritise oral health as a key component of the social determinants of health in Australia.