Sex-based influential factors for dental caries in patients with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a common mental disorder that seriously affects patients' daily lives and brings heavy psychological and economic burdens to their families and society. The oral problems of patients with schizophrenia are gradually gaining attention, among which dental caries are among the most common oral diseases. Sex differences may be related not only to the various clinical symptoms of schizophrenia but also to different oral hygiene statuses; therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to investigate sex differences related to influencing factors for dental caries in patients with schizophrenia.

Inpatients with schizophrenia over 18 years old were included in this study, and multidimensional indicators such as demographics, symptom and cognitive impairment assessments, medications, and the caries index of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) were collected. An analysis of sex-based influential factors for dental caries in schizophrenia patients was performed.

Four-hundred and ninety-six patients with schizophrenia were included, with a mean age of 46.73 ± 12.23 years, of which 142 were females and 354 were males. The mean DMFT was significantly higher in males (8.81 ± 8.50) than in females (5.63 ± 6.61, p < 0.001), and the odd ratio of caries in males to females was significantly higher as well (OR = 2.305, p < 0.001). The influential factors of caries in male patients were independently associated with age and smoking status, in which current smokers were at the highest risk for developing caries, and different smoking statuses had various influencing factors for caries. The influencing factors for caries in female patients were independently associated with age, antipsychotic dose, PANSS-positive symptoms, and MMSE levels.

Our findings suggest sex differences exist among influential factors for caries in patients with schizophrenia. These risk factors may even be associated with and affect the treatment and prognosis of psychiatric symptoms in patients. Therefore, oral hygiene management of patients with schizophrenia should be enhanced. These differential factors provide new visions and ideas for formulating individual interventions, treatments, and care priorities.