Can Chikung (Qigong) Enhance Oral Health and Well-being? A Review of the Evidence.

Background: Qigong, an ancient Chinese mind-body practice integrating movement, breath, and mental focus, offers diverse health benefits including stress reduction and improved well-being. Recognized in the West as a traditional vegetative biofeedback therapy, it has shown promise in enhancing quality of life, particularly for those with chronic conditions.Objective: This review aimed to evaluate Qigong's potential benefits for dental professionals and patients, focusing on its impact on stress, posture, musculoskeletal pain, and overall well-being within the dental context.Results: Qigong demonstrated significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression, positive-ly influencing oral health. It also attenuated burnout, improved sleep, reduced fatigue, and en-hanced well-being. Furthermore, it promoted postural improvements, musculoskeletal pain re-lief, and optimized biomechanics, suggesting potential for mitigating occupational injuries in dental professionals. Qigong emerges as a promising preventive intervention, enhancing both physical and psychological quality of life.Conclusions: Qigong shows potential as a valuable therapeutic adjunct in dentistry, particularly for stress-related conditions and postural imbalances. It also offers a promising approach to ad-dressing occupational hazards in dental professionals. However, due to limited direct research on Qigong within dentistry, further rigorous studies, including randomized controlled trials, are crucial to establish its specific effects on oral health outcomes and guide its clinical integration