Oral Health Status of Individuals With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Considering Oral Hygiene Habits Publisher Pubmed

Summary: OCD may shape oral health! Study suggests those with OCD brush more and have lower cavities. Could better brushing habits be the key? #OralHealth #OCD

Moharrami M¹ ; Perez A² ; Mohebbi SZ³ ; Bassir SH⁴ ; Amin M²
Source: Special Care in Dentistry Published:2022

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the oral health status of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods: Ninety-two participants, aged 18 years and older from which 46 had OCD symptoms, were included in this comparative cross-sectional study. Data on age, sex, smoking habit, educational level, and potential mediators including brushing frequency (BF) and brushing duration (BD) were collected. Clinical examinations determined outcome measures including decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT), presence of root caries (PoRC), gingival recession (GR), plaque index (PI), and papillary bleeding index (PBI). Pathway analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Individuals with OCD had significantly lower DMFT (p <.01), higher BF (p =.01), and lower PI (p =.01); however, there were no significant differences regarding BD, GR, PBI, and PoRC (p >.05). While BD did not have a mediating role, BF mediated the effect of OCD on DMFT (B = −0.31, CI = −0.60 to −0.06) and PI (B = −0.15, CI = −0.36 to −0.03). Males had less PI (B = −1.03, CI = −1.81 to −0.24) and PBI (B = −1.14, CI = −2.09 to 0.20) than females. Except for OCD and sex, other predictors were not significant. Conclusions: Individuals with OCD had lower caries experience and similar gingival health compared to controls. Part of the impact of OCD was mediated through brushing habits. © 2021 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals LLC