Oral-Health Status and Treatment Needs of Institutionalized Chronic Psychiatric Patients

Objectives: To determine the oral health and the long and short-term treatment needs of chronically hospitalized psychiatric patients in two mental health centres located in the province of Ontario, Canada, namely the Whitby Mental Health Centre (WMHC) and the Providence Continuing Care Centre (PCCC). Methods: The oral health status of the patients at both hospitals (WMHC N=231, PCCC N=120) were evaluated and compared to each other as the WMHC offers on-site while the PCCC offers off-site oral health care services. The study further intended to compare the status of the oral health of these two populations as distinguished by access to oral health care services, age, prescribed medications, psychiatric disorder and the duration of stay in program or institution. The intra-oral examination of the patients intended to determine the dental and periodontal health of the patients by utilizing the DMFT and CPI indices. A face-to face interview was also conducted with patients, to gain insight into the usage of dental services, oral self-care behaviours, tobacco use, and dietary factors as related to oral health. Results: Pending full analysis of the data, preliminary results from oral examination of 20 patients at the WMHC has indicated poor oral health status, with results comparable to those found by Ramon et al. 2003, Lewis et al. 2001, and Velasco and Bullon, 1999, suggestive of DMFT scores between 19.1 – 26.7 and CPI scores of 2 among the majority of patients. Conclusions: The data collected to-date suggest that hospitalized psychiatric patients in Ontario have a greater need for oral health care services than currently offered to them, particularly in prosthetic and preventative dentistry.