Abstract
BackgroundThe need to obtain information on the dental prosthetic treatment needs (DPTNs) of inpatients with schizophrenia is unrecognized. This study aims to assess the DPTNs of this population and investigate the association between these needs and related factors.MethodsThe results of an oral health survey involving 1,103 schizophrenic adult inpatients in a long-term care institution in Taiwan were used. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic analyses were used to measure the independent effects of the characteristics of each subject on their DPTNs.ResultsOf the subjects, 805 (73.0%) were men and 298 (27.0%) were women. The mean age was 50.8 years. A total of 414 (37.5%) required fixed prosthesis, whereas 700 (63.5%) needed removable prosthesis. Multivariate analyses show that fixed prosthesis is associated with age only after adjusting for other potential independent variables. Older subjects who had a lower educational attainment or a longer length of stay required removable prosthesis.ConclusionsThe findings of this study show that the DPTNs of schizophrenic inpatients are not being met. Therefore, a special approach to the dental prosthetic treatment of these patients should be developed.
Highlights
The need to obtain information on the dental prosthetic treatment needs (DPTNs) of inpatients with schizophrenia is unrecognized
Descriptive statistics Of the 1,103 schizophrenic inpatients evaluated for DPTNs, 805 (73.0%) were men and 298 (27.0%) were women
The analysis reveals that the need for removable prosthesis (RP) was associated with age, educational attainment, and length of stay (LOS)
Summary
The need to obtain information on the dental prosthetic treatment needs (DPTNs) of inpatients with schizophrenia is unrecognized. The need to obtain information on the dental prosthetic treatment needs (DPTNs) of handicapped individuals in general [1,2,3] and of inpatients with psychiatric disorders in particular has been gaining recognition [4,5]. Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder that has a significantly negative effect on the self-care ability of patients, which leads to poor oral hygiene as well as high DPTNs [6,7]. Studies have indicated that age, educational level, and length of stay (LOS) in institutions are important factors that determine dental treatment needs [8,10,11]. Some schizophrenia medications, such as the typical antipsychotic drugs, may have side effects that can lead to increased DPTNs [13,14]
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