Impact of Comorbid Mental Health Disorders on Oral Health Behaviors
Document Type
Poster
Abstract
Background: Mental health disorders (MHD) can significantly influence daily self-care behaviors, including oral hygiene behaviors (OHB). OHB in patients with a single MHD versus multiple MHD are unknown. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare OHB in patients with self-reported single and multiple MHD.
Methods: Electronic dental records for patients treated in an academic dental clinic between 2018 through 2021 were reviewed to identify presence of self-reported anxiety, dental anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, Schizophrenia and OHB. Specific OHB included self-reported frequency of daily toothbrushing (TB), interdental cleaning (ID), use of fluoride toothpaste (FTP) and mouthwash (MW), and recommended preventive recare interval and frequency of returning for recare within a 2-year period. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used for data analysis.
Results: 854 charts were reviewed, with 253 records identified with self-reported MHD. Anxiety was the most common MHD (n=156, 62%), followed by depression (n=154, 61%), dental anxiety (n=64, 25%), bipolar disorder (n=37,15%), PTSD (n=22, 9%) and Schizophrenia (n=15, 6%). There were no significant differences in OHB, recare intervals or frequency of recare visits by MHDs except for Schizophrenia: those with Schizophrenia brushed less frequently (W=1296.000, p=0.014). Individuals with one MHD brushed (W=16207.000, p=0.016) and used MW more frequently (W=16488.000, p=0.02) than those with more than one MHD. Men and women differed for TB (W=11818.500, p=0.004) and FTP (W=11864.500, p=0.008), with women showing greater frequency of use. Mean recommended recare interval was 6 months, with <2 visits reported by all types of MHD.
Conclusions: OHB were poor among dental patients with MHD.
Publication Date
2-2025
Recommended Citation
Groth, Gracie and Spolarich, A. E., "Impact of Comorbid Mental Health Disorders on Oral Health Behaviors" (2025). ASDOH Student Publications. 5.
https://scholarworks.atsu.edu/asdoh-student/5
Comments
Poster presented at ASDOH Research Week - March 2025.
This is a Cubify based presentation hosted at https://my.ltb.io/#/showcase/atsu-asdoh. It includes a video presentation, references, a PowerPoint presentation, and summary poster.