title: Comparison of oral health between inpatients with schizophrenia and disabled people or the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is little comparative research evidence to support the claim that there is disparity in dental care between inpatients with schizophrenia and the disabled people or the general population. This study aimed to investigate whether schizophrenia inpatients had poorer dental care and worse oral health than the disabled people and the general population, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  An oral health survey was conducted in a specific-psychiatric long-term care institution in Taiwan in 2006. The results of this survey were compared with the findings of oral health investigations of the disabled people or the general population in Taiwan using proportion test and t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study used decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT) to describe the condition of dental caries. Compared with the disabled people, schizophrenia inpatients aged 19 to 44 years had a lower subjects' filling rate of DMFT index (FI) and a higher caries experience, but schizophrenia inpatients aged 45 or more had a lower mean number of DMFT. Compared with the general population, schizophrenia inpatients had higher caries experience, mean number of DMFT, percentage edentulous, and community periodontal index and lower FI and number of remaining tooth among various gender or age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Taiwan, inpatients with schizophrenia have a lower FI than the disabled people and a worse overall oral health status than the general population.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health & Community Medicine Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuan-Yu
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Nan-Ping
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Pesus
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Hsien-Jane
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Lin-Yang
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult