Abstract

JIMENEZ POLANCO, M.P. et al. Depression and drug dependency: effects on dental health. Av Odontoestomatol [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.1, pp.41-46. ISSN 2340-3152.

Introduction: Patients receiving antidepressants and drug dependent patients present xerostomy, which together with the alteration of their hygienic habits leads to an increase in the occurrence of dental caries. This study compares two samples of both groups. Materials and methods: Data were collected from 75 patients in antidepressant treatment and 80 drug addict patients during a period of five years in the psychiatric department of the Hospital Clínic Universitari from Barcelona. The data collected were number and severity of caries, number of missing teeth and salivary pH. Mann-Whitney U test, Student's t test and analysis of variance were performed using SPSS v. 11.5. Results: Drug dependent patients present more caries and are more serious, and have a more acidic pH than the group of patients receiving antidepressants, but have less absence of teeth. This was established with a confidence interval of 99%. Discussion: Our results regarding caries in these groups are similar to those reported in different geographical areas. In our sample, being drug dependent has more weight than factors such as salivary pH, sex or age. Literature try to discern the weight that underlying pathology, oral hygiene or medication have on dental health, but it is difficult to obtain decisive conclusions.

Keywords : Caries; antidepressants; methadone; drug addiction; descriptive sectional study.

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