Abstract
Objectives: To study the dental status and treatment needs of institutionalized older adults with chronic mental illness compared to a non-psychiatric control sample. Study Design: The sample size was 100, in which 50 were psychogeriatric patients (study group; SG) classified according to DSM-IV, with a mean age of 69.6 ± 6.7 years, and 50 non-psychiatric patients (control group; CG), with a mean age of 68.3 ± 6.9 years. Clinical oral health examinations were conducted and caries were recorded clinically using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT). Results were analyzed statistically using the Student’s t-test or analysis of variance. Results: Caries prevalence was 58% and 62% in SG and CG, respectively. DMFT index was 28.3 ± 6.6 in SG and 21.4 ± 6.07 in CG (p < 0.01). Mean number of decayed teeth was higher in SG (3.1) compared to CG (1.8) (p=0.047). Mean number of missing teeth were 25.2 and 16.4 in SG and CG respectively (p<0.05). DMFT scores were higher in SG in all the age groups (p < 0.01). Mean number of teeth per person needing treatment was 3.4 in SG and 1.9 in CG (p= 0.037). The need for restorative dental care was significantly lower in the SG (0.8 teeth per person) than in the CG (1.7 teeth per person) (p = 0.043). Conclusions: Institutionalized psychiatric patients have significantly worse dental status and more dental treatment needs than non-psychiatric patients. Key words:Gerodontology, oral health, older adult, psychiatric patients, schizophrenia.
Highlights
The number of older adults is increasing worldwide and the global burden of oral disease among these older individuals is high
This study determined the caries experience and dental treatment needs of institutionalized Spanish elderly psychiatric patients and compared them to a gender and age-matched control group of community dwelling individuals attending a dental school in Seville
The results of this study reveal a high prevalence of dental caries in both groups of patients
Summary
The number of older adults is increasing worldwide and the global burden of oral disease among these older individuals is high. Patients receiving psychiatric medications that cause decrease salivary flow have a reduction in buffering capacity and dental caries occurs even with a normal diet When these individuals perceive that their mouth is dry they often seek relief by sucking or chewing on candies which contain sugars, and thereby increase the risk of developing dental caries [18]. Another study [22] analyzed the prevalence of dental caries in an adult (age ranging from 20 to 40 years) Spanish population with mental disabilities, finding a mean DMFT index for the whole sample of 6.0. Both studies lack a community based control group. A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken to describe the caries experience of a group of institutionalized elderly psychiatric patients and to compare it to a group of individuals living in the community and free of psychiatric illness
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