title: Oral health of patients on psychotropic medications: a study of outpatients in Queensland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the oral health of psychiatric patients on psychotropic medication, and compare this to Queensland and national data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed and examined 50 patients on medication at two outpatient clinics in South-east Queensland, in 2010. These areas had unfluoridated water till 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-third of the sample had not visited a dentist in the previous 2 years. One-half reported brushing their teeth once a day; 11% stated they never brushed. The mean of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) was 17.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.9 - 18.5), significantly higher than the state (13.1) and national (12.8) averages. Almost one-half of dental decay was untreated, compared to the state and national average of one-quarter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The oral health of this subgroup within the community is substantially worse than the general population and there are substantially greater treatment needs. Achieving equity in oral health care for these individuals has substantial resource and management implications.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry and Oral Health and Population and Social Health Research Program, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Ratilal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalloo
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kisely
authors.forename: Hemantha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amarasinghe
authors.forename: Roshnal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Newell
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Queensland; dental problems; fluoridated water; mental illness; oral health; psychiatric patients; psychotropic medication