Does Parkinson’s Disease Have an Affect on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life?

Parkinson’s Disease has a negative impact on multiple areas of a patient’s life. The condition is associated with shaking and slow movement. However, researchers have now analyzed the link between Parkinson’s and oral health-related quality of life. The research found that those with Parkinson’s disease had a very poor oral health quality of life.

Parkinson’s Disease is a debilitating condition that affects a person in many different ways. It is a rather common condition that many people suffer from.

The physical impact of Parkinson’s Disease is well established. But oral health is an area related to Parkinson’s Disease which has only limited research.

Now, researchers have analysed the oral health-related quality of life for those with Parkinson’s Disease. They have found that those who suffer from the condition typically have worse oral health than those without Parkinson’s Disease.

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s Disease is a condition that involves parts of the brain getting progressively damaged over the course of many years [1]. The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease are involuntary shaking, slow movement and stiff or inflexible muscles [1].

England’s NHS predicts that around 1 in 500 people are diagnosed with the condition, with most developing symptoms once they are over the age of 50 [1].

As well as physical issues, there are other issues too. For example, Parkinson’s Disease has been linked to poor mental health and general psychological wellbeing [2].

Existing research has shown a link does exist between poor oral health and Parkinson’s Disease. One study found that those with the condition have more chewing difficulties, more denture discomfort, less teeth and more swallowing issues than those without [3].

The Research

A group of researchers from the Netherlands recently completed a study. Their findings were published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation [4].

The researchers sought to analyze the link between Parkinson’s Disease and “oral health-related quality of life”. Oral health quality of life is defined as “a multi-dimensional construct that reflects factors such as people’s comfort when eating, sleeping and engaging in social interaction; their self-esteem; and their satisfaction with respect to their oral health” [4].

The research involved 752 participants aged 18-75 from the Netherlands. 341 of the participants had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Therefore, the remaining 411 did not [4].

The authors collected their data between June 2020 and June 2021. They used an electronic questionnaire, which was sent to participants. The participants were asked to report on their own oral health through several different questions [4].

The results showed that those with Parkinson’s Disease had worse oral health. For example, among the things reported were more oral facial pain, more tooth (in terms of tooth and dental tissue loss) and a higher incidence of burning mouth syndrome [4].

What this means

This research shows that there is a clear link between the oral health-related quality of life and Parkinson’s Disease. Therefore, the findings are rather worrying, and show that those with early stage Parkinson’s Disease need to take extra care with their oral health.

By adopting a more rigorous oral hygiene process, those with Parkinson’s Disease will hopefully be able to lessen future problems, or at least slow the onset of oral health problems.

The authors commented on their findings [5]. They concluded that “although problems concerning oral health are probably subordinate to other problems present in Parkinson’s Disease patients, this article suggests that oral-health related quality of life may be impaired in patients” [5].

They continued by making a recommendation to dentists [5]. By knowing about these findings, dentists “may be more alert and thus improve Parkinson’s Disease patients’ oral health to prevent further deterioration of their oral health-related quality of life” [5].

The authors did caution that there were some limitations of their study. They said that information from participants without Parkinson’s Disease was taken pre-pandemic [5].

Meanwhile those with Parkinson’s Disease reported during the pandemic. Because routine dentistry was put on hold at this time, they may have had worse oral health [5]. Therefore, this may have skewed their findings.

The authors also cautioned that the small sample size and self-report nature of the study may mean that their findings could be unreliable [5]. But their findings are still relevant, and show the clear link between Parkinson’s Disease and oral health problems.

Thinking points…

• 1) Do you know anyone with Parkinson’s Disease? The findings of this study shows that those with Parkinson’s Disease will typically have a worse oral health-related quality of life. Therefore, you could try and emphasize to them the importance of having strong oral hygiene. As part of this, try and suggest that they book a check-up soon.
• 2) Many of us will go on to have Parkinson’s Disease in the future. This research shows that oral health is crucial. Therefore, it is important to adopt strong oral hygiene now, as this can protect us in the future. Part of this is to make regular visits to the dentist for a check-up. We would recommend that you book an appointment soon!

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that provides a warm welcome and comfortable experience to its patience whenever needed.

We recommend that our patients attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a regular dental check-up. When problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals.

Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! These treatments can have a positive impact on your appearance, confidence and self-esteem.

Importantly, we recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing regularly. Moreover, eating healthily and trying to avoid sugary foods and drink is helpful.

In addition, all of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.

References

• [1] National Health Service. (2019). Parkinson’s disease. Available: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/parkinsons-disease/. Last accessed: 18th March 2022.
• [2] Uitti, R. J. (2012). Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: focus on quality of life issues. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. 18 (2): p534-536. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1353-8020(11)70013-X.
• [3] Nakayama, Y., Washio, M., & Mori, M. (2004). Oral Health Conditions in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Epidemiology. 14 (5): p143-150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.14.143.
• [4] Verhoeff, M. C., Lobbezoo, F., van Leeuwen, A. M., Schuller, A. A., & Koutris, M. (2022). Oral health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson disease. Journal of Oral Rehabiitation. 10: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joor.13304.
• [5] Johnson, H. (2022). People With Parkinson Disease May Have Lower Oral Health Quality of Life. Available: https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/topics/movement-disorders/those-with-parkinson-disease-reported-a-worse-oral-environment/. Last accessed: 18th March 2022.