A University of the Basque Country (EHU) study has emphasised the importance of taking care of the oral health of people with mental health problems.1
L to R: Nerea Jauregizar, researcher and associate professor of the Department of Pharmacology of the EHU; Leire Urien, researcher and assistant professor of the Stomatology Department of the EHU; and Teresa Morera, researcher and associate professor of the Department of Pharmacology of the EHU. Credit Egoi Markaida
A research group in the Department of Pharmacology of EHU has investigated the adverse reactions that antipsychotics can cause in the mouth. The study was based on data from the European pharmacovigilance database EudraVigilance and revealed that the most common problems are related to salivary flow disorders (such as excessive salivation and dry mouth), oral inflammation and tooth loss.
Individuals with mental illness are known to be at increased risk of systemic diseases, and neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with poor oral and dental health. Recent years, however, have seen a growing interest in paying attention to the oral and dental situation of people with mental health disorders, since the relationship between oral health and general physical and mental health is very important. Although the side effects of antipsychotic drugs (drugs used to treat schizophrenia, in particular) have been extensively studied, their effect on the mouth has not.
Researchers from EHU have been studying the oral health of people with schizophrenia. Using EudraVigilance, they analysed 5,633 reports, which raised suspicions about the harmful effects of antipsychotic drugs.
Research has shown that antipsychotics are strongly associated with adverse oral effects. Teresa Morera-Herreras, an EHU lecturer, said: ‘Those related to the alteration of salivary flow, such as excessive salivation and dry mouth, were reported the most, according to the drug taken. But in addition to that, cavities, tooth loss, inflammation of the salivary glands and tongue, etc., are also related to certain antipsychotics.’
The disproportion observed in the European database revealed that ‘antipsychotic drugs are associated with adverse oral reactions. But that does not establish a causal relationship. It means that patients treated with antipsychotic drugs have a higher risk of developing oral conditions, and many of these diseases are likely to be associated with the adverse effects these drugs have on oral health’. The researchers also pointed out that they had not found differences according to gender.
The researchers have proposed some general recommendations for oral health care for patients with mental health problems: it is very important to systematically check the oral health of patients and help them improve. People with schizophrenia are often stigmatised; if they are helped to take care of their mouths, this will help them improve their life quality. It is essential to develop preventive measures: firstly, to ensure good oral hygiene and good habits, and secondly, it is very important to ensure collaboration among the health professionals who treat them; in this case, psychiatrists should be in contact with dentists.
link