Dental Treatment for People in Recovery

Dental health and oral hygiene have been found to be closely related to physical and emotional health. Psychological stress may cause tension that results in tooth erosion, gum disease, oral sores, etc. On the other hand, unhealthy teeth and poor oral hygiene can lead to social avoidance, discomfort, poor self-esteem, and a sense of confidence that can damage mental health and exacerbate existing mental conditions.

Some individuals who suffer from a mental health disability tend to smile less, or not at all. Sometimes they are in a bad mood and even depressed; that is attributed to their mental state, and sometimes it is because they are ashamed of their oral hygiene. When you don't smile, not only do you not enjoy yourself, but you do also not benefit from health value of smiling: smiling releases substances in the brain called endorphins that cause happiness, reduce stress etc.

Reasons for avoiding hygiene and dental care

Difficulty in maintaining oral and dental hygiene: low-functioning individuals with mental health disabilities, many of whom suffer from multiple disabilities such as autism, are individuals with special needs, etc., and find it difficult to establish a regular dental care routine to maintain their oral hygiene. Individuals with mental health disabilities who are at varying levels of function find it difficult to maintain oral hygiene for other reasons. For example, during periods of depression they find it difficult to perform simple actions such as brushing teeth.

High stress level: some individuals with a mental health disability, such as those who are dealing with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, experience high levels of stress that result in tooth erosion.

Economic cost: in addition to the functional difficulty, dental treatments incur an occasionally high financial cost. Many individuals with mental health disabilities who find themselves outside the employment circle and who live off a disability allowance cannot always finance the treatments and therefore avoid seeking dental treatments.

Smiling is the key to rehabilitation—don’t give up on it.

Treatment Cost

If your treatment plan is approved, it will be fully covered by the Ministry of Health, and you will not need to pay. The only payment required is for dental X-rays during the initial exam (based on the dental clinic’s pricing). If you choose a different treatment plan, or one that goes beyond the approved plan, it will be at your own expense, without any participation from the Ministry of Health.

Eligibility for Dental Treatments

• Eligibility for preventive and restorative treatments is not time-limited. Each request will be approved according to medical need.
• Eligibility for restorative treatments is available only after 5 years from the completion of the previous treatment. In exceptional cases, earlier approval may be granted by the Service Center in the Dental Health Division. Requests can be submitted through the hotline.
• Note: Once the Rehabilitation Basket Committee approves eligibility for dental treatments, you have 12 months to use it. This means you must begin and complete the treatment within 12 months; otherwise, the eligibility will expire, and you will need to reapply to the committee for approval.