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Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
The dental health of people with schizophrenia
R G McCreadie1, H Stevens, J Henderson
1Department of Clinical Research, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries, UK. robin.mccreadie@nhs.net
Objective:
To examine the dental health of community dwelling people with schizophrenia and to compare results with those in the general population.
Method:
Dental health of 428 people with schizophrenia in six different areas of the UK was assessed by a self-report questionnaire.
Results:
Compared with the general population, significantly more of the younger patients were edentate (3-39% vs. 1-20%) and fewer had more than 20 teeth (70% vs. 83%). None of four dental health targets had been achieved in the patient population. More patients had last visited the dentist because of trouble with their teeth; fewer had visited for a check-up. Fewer patients cleaned their teeth daily; this group had more negative symptoms.
Conclusion:
The dental health of people with schizophrenia is poor. Community mental health teams should encourage them to attend their community dentist regularly.
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