title: Dental health behavior and self-reported dental health problems among hospitalized psychiatric patients in Denmark.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to describe dental health behavior and self-reported oral health problems among hospitalized psychiatric patients. Two hundred and forty dentate patients were interviewed with regard to participation in school dental care, dental visiting habits, self-assessment of oral health, dental anxiety, and oral hygiene habits. Dental visiting habits were associated with gender, psychiatric diagnosis, duration of mental disorder, and fear of dental care. Moreover, toothbrushing habits varied with gender, status as inpatient or day-hospital patient, number of admissions, and psychiatric diagnosis. Constant regular dental visits were observed among 31% of the participants, whereas regular toothbrushing was reported by 55%. Compared with reference figures of the general population, these figures reflect a relatively poorer dental health behavior among the study participants. The study underlines the need for specific preventive dental programs, which aim at improving the poor dental health behavior among psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department for Community Dentistry, Faculty of Health Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hede
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data