Medical status of patients presenting for treatment at an Australian dental institute: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Individuals seeking dental treatment often present with medical conditions which may affect dental treatment provision. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of medical conditions and medication use among individuals attending dental clinics at a Western Australian tertiary institution.Methods: This observational study examined the general demographics, medical and social histories of 873 subjects presenting for a general dental examination at a Western Australian Tertiary Institution between March 2018 and February 2019. Individual recruited were those presenting to the clinics either as new patients to the Centre or returning patients after an extended period of absence.Results: Presence of a medical condition was reported by 86% of the participants, with males more commonly affected (p=0.0448). Medication use was noted by 80% of the participants. Cardiovascular disease (37.9%), allergy (32.3%), mental health disorders (29.4%), musculoskeletal (23.0%), endocrine (22.4%) and respiratory disease (17.8%) were the most common conditions identified. Women were significantly more likely to report allergy (p=0.0002) or a mental health condition (p=0.0368). Conclusions: Medical comorbidities are common among individuals presenting for student dental treatment in Western Australia, highlighting the importance of knowledge and teaching of internal medicine and its application to the dental setting.

Medical Conditions, Oral Health Practices, and Barriers to Treatment among Patients Visiting a Teaching Dental Hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia

“…Similar prevalence estimates (38%) were reported by Aggarwal et al in a study of dental patients in a teaching dental institute in India [4]. A recent study by Frydrych et al identified medical problems in 86% of dental patients in Australia, and the most common medical problems included cardiovascular disease, allergy, and mental disorders [11]. On the other hand, Oyetola et al reported the occurrence of medical conditions in 11.7% of patients in Nigeria [10].…”

“…International literature indicates variations in the prevalence estimates of medical conditions in dental patients in different countries [4,[7][8][9][16][17][18]. e prevalence of medical conditions in dental patients was 11.7% in Nigeria [10], 12.2% in ailand [20], 27.7% in Ireland [21], 38% in India [4], 42% in West Indies [9], 52.5% in the U.S. [22], and 86% in Australia [11].…”

“…On the other hand, gastrointestinal disease and bleeding tendencies were common conditions among dental patients in Jordan [16]. e most common medical conditions in patients attending dental clinics in Western Australia included cardiovascular disease, allergies, and mental disorders [11]. Similarly, drug allergies and cardiovascular disease were the most frequently reported in patients in the U.S. [22].…”

“…Evidence from previous studies shows a high prevalence of medical problems among patients visiting dental care facilities in different parts of the world [4,[9][10][11]. Al-Bayaty et al reported medical conditions in 42% of the patients who attended the emergency clinic of a dental school in the West Indies [9].…”

The medical profile of patients accessing emergency dental care: A comparative study

“…Antihypertensives, bronchodilators, antidepressants and proton‐pump inhibitors were the most commonly prescribed medications in both 2011 and 2020. A recent study 7 assessing patients at an Australian dental institute reported antidepressants being the medications most commonly used in patients presenting for treatment.…”