The oral and dental health of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) has not been well documented and the findings are conflicting. Patients with PD were invited to take part in a clinical and radiographic examination together with a comparison control group of persons who were a spouse or family member. Subjects (n = 67) and controls (n = 55) were examined and compared. Subjects with PD had more missing teeth, caries, dental plaque, and poorer periodontal health. Counts of cariogenic bacteria in saliva were significantly higher for subjects with PD. They did not consume more sweets or sugar, did not brush less frequently, used dental floss more than controls, and visited the dentist at least as often. Salivary flow levels were comparable between subjects with PD and controls. The lack of muscular control may explain the poorer oral health of patients with PD. Dentists and patients with PD may be reluctant to embark on complex dental procedures, and this may explain the increased number of missing teeth in persons with PD in this study.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

PurposeTo determine the prevalence and distribution of prosthetic complications affecting implant‐supported fixed dental prostheses (ISFDPs).Materials and MethodsSubjects previously treated with one or more ISFDP(s) were identified from an electronic health record search and recalled for comprehensive clinical examination. Past prosthesis failures and complications were identified from the patient records while any existing complications, not previously recorded, were assessed during examination. ISFDP survival and failure rates were calculated with Kaplan‐Meier curves and life table analysis, while regression Poisson analysis was used to identify associations between outcomes and possible patient‐ and prosthesis‐based risk factors.ResultsSeventy‐four subjects with 107 ISFDPs were enrolled in the study with a mean time between prosthesis delivery and exam of 3.14 years (range: 1.00‐9.00 years). Four prostheses failed, resulting in a cumulative prosthesis survival rate of 96.26%. Prosthetic complications affected 48.59% of ISFDPs, the majority (94.87%) of them minor complications. Only the use of a nightguard was associated with a lower prevalence of prosthetic screw loosening (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02‐0.59, p = 0.007) while no outcome differences were noted for other variables. Patient satisfaction was high regardless of presence or number of complications.ConclusionsISFDPs demonstrated a high survival rate and overall high, patient‐reported satisfaction. Minor prosthetic complications were common but were only significantly associated with nightguard use.