title: The dental awareness and needs of a Parkinson's disease population.
abstract: The dental awareness and needs of a population with Parkinson's disease were assessed by means of postal questionnaires sent to members of Parkinson's disease societies of Belfast and London. A total of 228 valid replies were received representing a response rate of 31%. Results showed that dental problems were reported often, xerostomia and burning sensation being at least twice that of the general population. Satisfaction with dental care was high although it was significantly reduced in those with loose dentures and burning sensation. The results of this study support a greater participation by dentists in the planning and provision of healthcare for sufferer of Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Clinical Dentistry, Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finnerty
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology