Oral mucosal health among psychotic outpatients at a peripheral hospital in Jordan

Abstract EN

Objective : The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of oral health problems among chronic psychotic patients.

Methods : Two hundred and ten patients attending the psychiatric outpatient clinic at Prince Rashid Ben Al-Hassan Hospital who were under psychiatric treatment for at least two years, were included in this study.

Their psychiatric diagnosis and treatment were recorded.

A thorough clinical oral examination for both the hard and soft tissues was recorded for each patient.

Results : Of the total sample of 210 subjects, 102 (48.6%) were males, 108 (51.4) were females, and the mean age was 39.8 years.

Psychiatric diagnosis revealed that 36% of the patients had schizophrenia, 52 % had mood disorder and 12% had delusional disorder.

37% received oral medication, 7% received depot medication and 56 % received both oral and depot medications.

The majority (70%) of the sample suffered form xerostomia (dry mouth).

There was a significant association between the psychiatric illnesses and xerostomia tongue and lip abnormalities: the latter was inversely associated with the duration of illness.

Xerostomia and tongue abnormalities were significantly associated with the type of medications.

Many other oral health problems were identified and recorded.

Conclusion : Chronic psychotic patients suffer from a number of oral health problems, mainly xerostomia and oral infections.

Mouth dryness leads to increased tooth decay and oral ulceration and thus predisposes to infection.

Dentists and psychiatrists are called cooperate in review and follow up of these dental problems among this group of patients.