Dental Caries among Mental Patients in Kerbala-Iraq in 2019

Abstract

Background: The world is facing an epidemic of dental caries, which affects all age groups, and the problem

is clearer among specific risk groups such as mental patients. This problem has a great impact on humanity,

on oral health, on quality of life and general health, economic, social and esthetic drawbacks. Patients and

methods: A cross-sectional prospective study covered 124 mental patients visiting a private psychiatric

clinic in Kerbala city. clinical diagnosis and medication history were registered. In addition, oral examination

was conducted to determine DMFT index diagnose other dental manifestations (plaque and hairy tongue),

and xerostomia was investigated through a specific questionnaire. Results and discussion: Dental caries

and poor oral health of 124 patients with equal gender distribution and a mean age of 35.04±12.52 year.

More than three quarters of the sample had dental caries of at least one tooth with significantly higher

prevalence among females. DMFT value >2 was encountered in 54% of females compared to 42% of males.

Teeth brushing was never or irregularly performed by two thirds of the patients and was a high significant

predictor of total DMFT, Decay and Missing component. A great majority (85%) had xerostomia, 50% had

plaque staining, 13% had bruxism, 9% had hairy tongue and 3% had denture some of these conditions were

positively associated with DMFT or its components. Conclusions: Especial attention needs to be paid for

the oral health of mental patients the xerostomia encountered as a side effect of most medicines in these

patients could influence oral health in general and dental caries in particular.