Individuals With Parkinson Disease Struggle to Receive Regular Dental Care

A group of more than 6,800 residents of Denmark with Parkinson disease (PD) was compared to a similar group of Danes without the neurological disorder regarding dental care utilization over 5 years. The study, “Dental Care Utilization Among Persons with Parkinson Disease in Denmark” was recently published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. The comparison found that those with PD were more likely to irregularly receive dental care than those without PD. The individuals with PD also more frequently required invasive dental procedures such as restorative therapy and tooth extraction than those without PD. The authors suggest that oral health professionals continue efforts to improve access to care for vulnerable populations and create prevention resources specifically tailored to those with PD. Click here to read more.