Oral health conditions and hygiene procedures in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, gradually leads to disability and affects ordinary gestures, including patients’ home oral hygiene. Given that poor oral conditions, with decayed teeth, halitosis, and periodontal inflammation, can represent a critical issue in patients with low compliance in oral hygiene, the aim of this review was to investigate overall oral health in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: A search on PubMed, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases was conducted to identify relevant publications: studies concerning patients with PD, their oral health conditions, and oral hygiene, also in terms of inflammation and plaque control, were included. Risk of bias analysis and qualitative analysis were performed. Results: Of 226 records found through the electronic search, a total of 16 studies were finally included in the systematic review. Outcomes without consistent differences between PD patients and healthy patients (control group) mainly regarded: the frequency of brushing (at least twice a day), the brushing methods (generally variable) and the frequency of dental visits (mostly regular for both groups). In patients with PD, use of interdental devices was lower, and presence of plaque was higher: due to self-reported difficulties, 15–29% of them need help for oral care, against the 1% in the healthy group. Furthermore, the longer duration and higher severity of PD seem to adversely affect overall oral health conditions. Discussion: Since poor oral conditions of patients with PD are associated with their disability in conducting proper home procedures, it is necessary for dental practitioners to focus on specific and personalized instructions, to be easily delivered to caregivers.