Key messages:
- Oral health professionals will encounter clients with mental health disorders due to the increasing prevalence.
- Early identification and effective treatment of odontogenic infections are essential for individuals with mental health disorders.
- Increasing knowledge of mental health disorders can improve oral health professionals’ abilities to treat clients with such conditions.
Introduction
Mental health disorders are prevalent globally. Individuals with these conditions often experience poorer oral health. Several factors contribute to this decline in oral health, including the effects of psychotropic medications, unhealthy dietary choices, suboptimal oral self-care, lack of oral health treatment, and detrimental habits. Individuals with depressive disorders tend to have less frequent oral health appointments and experience an increased risk of tooth loss. Severe mental illness is associated with higher rates of decayed, missing, or filled teeth.
Severe odontogenic infections (OIs) are relatively uncommon, but their incidence has increased. These infections often occur in previously healthy individuals and may cause long-term consequences. Early identification and effective treatment of OIs are crucial. OIs can spread to surrounding tissues and even deeper structures, which can be life-threatening. Symptoms such as swelling, trismus, or fever indicate severe infection requiring hospitalization. Several complications can occur in severe OIs, including necrotizing fasciitis, septicemia, pneumonia, and death.
Mental health diagnoses can be a risk factor for severe OIs. Several related factors have been recognized, such as medication, lifestyle factors, and insufficient treatment of comorbid conditions. General and oral health are often poorer, especially in those with severe mental illness.
Objective
This study investigated whether there is a difference in treatment delays for severe OIs between individuals with mental health disorders and those without a mental health diagnosis.
Discussion
The findings indicate individuals with severe OI and mental health disorders had more repeated visits to medical healthcare for OI symptoms than those without mental health conditions. More than half of the individuals with a mental health disorder were
