Assessment of periodontal status and its association with demographic and behavioral factors in psychiatric patients.

Aim: This study evaluated the periodontal status of psychiatric patients and its association with demographic and behavioral factors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 65 psychiatric patients attending a mental health center in Saudi Arabia. Periodontal health was assessed using plaque control record (PCR), bleeding on probing (BoP), probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Sociodemographic data, psychiatric diagnoses, medication use, and oral hygiene practices were recorded. Results: Participants had a mean age of 33.7 years, with schizophrenia being the most common diagnosis (70.8%). Most patients reported irregular oral hygiene (86.2%) and 32.3% were current smokers. Only 9.2% had good plaque control, while 41.5% showed poor control. Moderate BoP prevalence was 67.7%, and CAL was observed in 69.2% of patients. Smoking, poor oral hygiene, and longer medication use were significantly associated with adverse periodontal outcomes ( Conclusion: Psychiatric patients demonstrated a high burden of periodontal disease. Behavioral factors and treatment duration, rather than socioeconomic variables, were the main predictors of poor oral health. Integration of dental care into psychiatric management is essential to improve patients' quality of life.