Dental caries experience and periodontal disease in institutionalised male psychiatric patients.

The prevalence of caries and the periodontal disease in 240 adult male psychiatric patients was determined in order to recommend appropriate treatment strategies. Twenty seven per cent of the sample were fully dentate and 12 per cent were caries free. The mean DMFT was 7.92 with the D component reflecting many untreated carious teeth. All age groups require simple restorative care for the treatment of dental caries. None of the subjects were totally free from periodontal disease. Calculus and moderate periodontal pocket formation was the most common manifestation. Seventeen per cent of the sample needed complex periodontal care. Health education aimed at professional and lay staff, the implementation of a suitable plaque removal regimen and the removal of subgingival calculus by auxiliary personnel were seen as important therapeutic measures to enhance the oral health of this population.