title: Self-assessment of dental health among Danish noninstitutionalized psychiatric patients.
abstract: This survey provides a description of the living conditions, dental health self-assessment, dental health behavior, and knowledge and attitudes to dental care in a population of noninstitutionalized psychiatric patients. A total of 84 individuals (70% of the persons selected) were interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire. One of five participants did not perform oral hygiene as a daily routine and 45% had no regular dental visit habits. A proportion of about 40% reported symptoms from teeth or gingiva within the previous year. Despite an acceptable level of general knowledge on caries and periodontal problems, only a small proportion were aware of the caries-inducing potential of psychotropic drugs. People with more than five admissions to the psychiatric ward more often reported symptoms from teeth and gingiva; irregular dental visit habits were also related to number of admissions and to manic-depression. The survey indicates poor oral health among psychiatric patients compared with the general population and the need for specific oral care programs leveled at noninstitutionalized psychiatric patients is stressed.
authors.affiliation: Dental Department, KAS Nordvang, Glostrup.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hede
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003718:Denmark; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology