Effects of short professional mechanical tooth-cleaning (PMTC) program in young adults with mental disabilities

We evaluated the usefulness of a short professional mechanical tooth-cleaning (PMTC) program to improve periodontal conditions and caries susceptibility in 10 young adult patients with mental and/or physical disabilities. The PMTC program was carried out once on each of 6 sextants of the full mouth during 6 visits at two-week intervals. Even one treatment with PMTC was found to be significantly effective in reducing the probing depth in eight of the 10 subjects. A reduction in the total number of bleeding sites on probing was also clearly observed in all subjects. Moreover, the debris index was reduced in nine subjects by the PMTC program. Although caries susceptibility was improved, albeit very slowly, by PMTC, the Cariostat pH values showed no consistent tendency. The effects lasted for more than 6 weeks. Analysis of these results suggests that the PMTC program can be effective in adults with mental disabilities, especially in reducing gingival inflammation.