Dougouty Kamate
The oral health status of patients with mental illness is sometimes considered secondary to the other conditions they have. There is evidence that these patients are more vulnerable to dental neglect and poor oral health. The change in behavior prevents them from knowing the need for oral hygiene and care. Another reason is that the medications they take for the control of psychiatric symptoms, alter the physiology of the oral cavity. Poor oral health, however, is a cause of discomfort, pain, eating difficulties, and altered aesthetics. A prospective study on the oral health of mentally ill patients was conducted at the psychiatry department of C.H.U. Point G from June to July 2014. The objective was to determine the oral health of patients consulting in psychiatry. There were 130 patients including 91 men and 39 women. The average age was 33.2 years. The target readership consisted of all those interested in Dentistry, Stomatology, Public Health, Psychiatry, General Medicine.
