Neuropsychiatric disorders and periodontal disease

The purpose of this study was to compare the severity of periodontal disease among subjects with neuropsychiatric disorders with that of a control group of normal subjects in order to determine the association between emotional disturbances and periodontal disease. One hundred and sixty-three subjects hospitalized for neuropsychiatric conditions (NP) and 78 control subjects with no emotional problems were examined. Periodontal attachment loss was measured using Russell's index (PI), and the oral hygiene status was evaluated with the Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) of Green and Vermillion by a single examiner. Full mouth radiographs were also evaluated. The results showed that mean PI, debris, calculus, and OHI scores were generally higher in NP subjects compared to controls. When the effects of severity of debris, calculus, and OHI scores, and daily tooth brushing frequency were controlled, NP subjects had statistically significantly higher mean PI scores than controls. These findings suggest that emotional problems may be associated with the severity of periodontal disease.