title: A comparison of the dental status and treatment needs of older adults  with and without chronic mental illness in Sevilla, Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the dental status and treatment needs of institutionalized older adults with chronic mental illness compared to a non-psychiatric control sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample size was 100, in which 50 were psychogeriatric patients (study group; SG) classified according to DSM-IV, with a mean age of 69.6 ± 6.7 years, and 50 non-psychiatric patients (control group; CG), with a mean age of 68.3 ± 6.9 years. Clinical oral health examinations were conducted and caries were recorded clinically using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT). Results were analyzed statistically using the Student's t-test or analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caries prevalence was 58% and 62% in SG and CG, respectively. DMFT index was 28.3 ± 6.6 in SG and 21.4 ± 6.07 in CG (p < 0.01). Mean number of decayed teeth was higher in SG (3.1) compared to CG (1.8) (p=0.047). Mean number of missing teeth were 25.2 and 16.4 in SG and CG respectively (p<0.05). DMFT scores were higher in SG in all the age groups (p < 0.01). Mean number of teeth per person needing treatment was 3.4 in SG and 1.9 in CG (p= 0.037). The need for restorative dental care was significantly lower in the SG (0.8 teeth per person) than in the CG (1.7 teeth per person) (p = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Institutionalized psychiatric patients have significantly worse dental status and more dental treatment needs than non-psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, (section of Gerodontology), School of Dentistry, University of Sevilla, Spain. evelasco@us.es
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velasco-Ortega
authors.forename: Juan-José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Segura-Egea
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Córdoba-Arenas
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Guerra
authors.forename: Loreto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monsalve-Guil
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-López
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D009909:Oral Health; D013030:Spain