Clinical Insights into Orofacial Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Comprehensive Study

Abstract

Introduction - Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder which affects around four million people globally. Many of the signs of Parkinson’s disease are found in the head and neck region. The typical “mask-like” facial appearance with infrequent blinking and lack of expression is caused by bradykinesis. Since the oral aspect of this peculiar disease is less explored, the present study aims at understanding the dental and oral risk among the patients of Parkinson’s disease. Objective - To assess the overall dental status and oral health of the patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study was aimed to analyze the impact of Parkinson’s disease on the oral health of the individuals surviving with the disease. Materials and Methods - The study sample included 100 Parkinson’s disease patients. The patients of all age groups and both genders were included. Results - Among 100 Parkinson’s disease patients 82 patients were males and 18 patients were females. Among the oral manifestations dental caries was in 85 patients(85%) , periodontitis was in 76 (76%), Dryness of mouth was in 68 patients(68%), Gingivitis was found in 54 people(54%), Attrition was diagnosed in 28 patients (28%), Hyper salivation, Cervical abrasion and Difficulty in speech was seen in 16 patients (16%), Loss of taste sensation was seen in 9 patients (9%), facial asymmetry and Family history of Parkinson’s disease was seen among 7 patients(7%). An overall, oral manifestation of both hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity was found in Parkinson’s disease patients. Conclusion - The present study was carried out to determine the dental status and oral health of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Dental health education activities should be introduced to increase the awareness and importance of oral health of patients with Parkinson’s disease. KeyWords - Dental status, Oral manifestations, Oral health, Parkinson’s Diseases