Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41549229›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2026

Oral health status and dental care needs among adults living with epilepsy in Cameroon: an analytical cross-sectional study.

Annick Melanie Magnerou, Yvana Hotou Tchapda, Dènahin Hinnoutondji Toffa, Daniel Massi Gams, Serge Honoré Tchoukoua, Christian Deube Ngako, Victor Sini, Jacques Narcisse Doumbe, Yacouba Njankouo Mapoure, Callixte Kuate-Tegueu and 1 more

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Article in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Annick Melanie MagnerouFaculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon. melanieannick@yahoo.fr.
Yvana Hotou TchapdaInstitut Supérieur des Sciences de la Sante, Department of Dental Surgery, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon.
Dènahin Hinnoutondji ToffaDépartement de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Daniel Massi GamsFaculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
Serge Honoré TchoukouaInstitut Supérieur des Sciences de la Sante, Department of Dental Surgery, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon.
Christian Deube NgakoDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Victor SiniDepartment of Clinical Science, Institut Supérieur de Technologie Médicale of Nkolondom, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Jacques Narcisse DoumbeFaculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
Yacouba Njankouo MapoureFaculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
Callixte Kuate-TegueuNeurology Department, Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, Po Box 4035, Douala, Cameroon.
Charles PilipiliInstitut Supérieur des Sciences de la Sante, Department of Dental Surgery, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople living with epilepsy (PLWE) often face significant barriers to oral healthcare due to stigma, marginalization, and limited access to services, especially in low-resource settings. This study compared the oral health status and dental care needs of people living with epilepsy with matched controls without epilepsy at Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, Cameroon.

methodsWe conducted an analytical cross-sectional study from February to May 2024. A total of 210 participants were enrolled, including 70 PLWE and 140 age-, sex-, and lifestyle-matched non-PLWE controls. PLWE were eligible if they had been diagnosed at least six months prior. Participants were consecutively recruited from the Neurology Department outpatient clinic. Oral health was assessed using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests and odds ratios, with significance set at p < 0.05.

resultsPLWE had significantly higher rates of poor oral hygiene compared with controls (85.7% vs. 27.1%; OR = 16.11, 95% CI: 7.49–34.65, p < 0.001). Gingivitis was more prevalent among PLWE (71.4% vs. 57.9%; OR = 7.02, 95% CI: 3.44–14.31, p < 0.001), as was localized chronic periodontitis (18.6% vs. 6.4%; OR = 10.70, 95% CI: 4.05–24.50, p < 0.001). Over half of PLWE required restorative dental care (58.6% vs. 44.6%).

conclusionPoor oral health is highly prevalent among PLWE, particularly gingivitis. Integrating routine oral screening into epilepsy follow-up programs could improve long-term quality of life, especially in resource-limited settings.

Indexed as

EpilepsyHealth Services Needs and DemandOral HealthAdultCameroonCase-Control StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesDMF IndexFemaleHealth StatusHumansMaleMiddle AgedOral Hygiene IndexPeriodontal IndexYoung AdultAdultsCameroonDental needsEpilepsyOral health

Identifiers

PMID41549229
PMCPMC12853853

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.