title: Oral health status of dementia patients in Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigate the oral health of patients with dementia and examine the association between the type and severity level of dementia on their dental caries sta tus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study conducted on outpatients referred to the memory clinic. Clinical examinations were based on WHO criteria. Socio-demographic data, functional ability, and dementia level were obtained from hospital medical records. The Thai version of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE-Thai 2002) was used as a cognitive testing instrument. The ability to perform oral care derived from an interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine subjects were included in the present study. The mean age was 75.5 (+/- 7.0) years. Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) constituted the largest dementia group. More than half (60.9%), had dementia for less than two years and were functionally independent (66.7%). The majority (56.50%) had moderately severe dementia. More than half (52.50%) had at least 20 functional teeth. The mean number of teeth was 19.5 (+/- 8.4). Mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) were 14.9 (+/- 9.2). More than half (54.7%) had periodontal disease (pocket depth > or = 4 mm). Dementia severity was the only characteristic which showed a significant difference in dental caries experience (> or = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dementia patients who attended the memory clinic had considerably better oral status compared to the national data. Dementia severity was the only characteristic that showed a significant difference in dental caries experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. patcharawana@gmail.com
authors.forename: Patcharawan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srisilapanan
authors.forename: Chonwarin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jai-Ua
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004245:DMF Index; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013785:Thailand