Caries and periodontal disease in patients with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) has been associated with aging, reduced fine motor skills, and malnutrition caused by eating soft sticky foods and a decreased liquid intake, which may contribute to the onset of caries, periodontal disease, and tooth loss. The objective of this study was to investigate the oral health of 101 patients with PD (mean age: 66.2 +/- 10.5 years) and compare them to 75 control subjects (CO) (mean age 71 +/- 10.53). Patients with PD had poorer oral health than the control group (papilla bleeding index: PD 6.97 +/- 8.34; CO 2.12 +/- 2.73). Lower frequencies of daily toothbrushing (PD: 1.69 +/- 0.83; CO: 2.08 +/- 0.80), longer time since the last dentist visit (PD: 1.94 +/- 1.49; CO: 1.21 +/- 0.60 years), and reduced salivary flow (PD: 2.69 +/- 0.94; CO: 3.53 +/- 1.11 ml). All of these factors may be related to the gingival recession and tooth mobility found in our patients with PD. Individuals with PD, their caregivers, and their physicians need to focus more on their oral health and quality of oral hygiene.