Comparison of mean tooth attrition score in psychiatric patients with healthy individuals

ABSTRACT

The objective of the study was to compare the Mean Tooth Attrition Score in psychiatric patients with depression, with healthy individuals of same age groups. A Case control study was carried out in the Department of Prosthodontics, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry and Psychiatric Department, Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health, Rawalpindi, from August 2010 to March 2011. Seventy patients were divided into two equal groups, A and B. Group A comprised of 35 psychiatric patients with depression under treatment since one year having minimum ten natural teeth in oral cavity including first molars and incisors selected from Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health while group B comprised of 35 otherwise healthy individuals of same age range reported to AFID for routine dental treatment. They were included by Non probability consecutive sampling method. The patients with history of facial trauma, hormonal disease or neoplasm, having carious or restored molar teeth and malocclusion were excluded from the study. Smith and Knight[1] index with scores ranging from 0 [No loss of enamel] to 4 [Complete loss of enamel] used to measure tooth attrition score of central, lateral incisors and first molars. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 16. In this study, a significant difference between groups for mean tooth attrition score was found. Psychiatric patients with depression and anxiety revealed the highest degree of tooth wear, many of them requiring complex treatment