Aussie university focuses on oral health of mentally ill

La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia has launched a free toothbrush and toothpaste campaign directed toward individuals with mental health issues.

The campaign, supported by Colgate, will focus initially on northern Victoria and includes a comprehensive education campaign for the medical and dental professions, the university said in a press release. It follows a year-long investigation into the link between oral and mental health among regional Victorians by La Trobe University researchers at its Bendigo campus.

The research program, led by Amanda Kenny, Ph.D., associate professor in health sciences at La Trobe University, involved a multidisciplinary group of dentists, mental health professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, medical practitioners, and mental health clients, who developed a questionnaire to explore health professionals’ view of oral health as it relates to mental health.

“We discovered that the mainstreaming of psychiatric care has contributed greatly to the poor dental health of many regional Victorians with mental health issues,” said Kenny. “When you add in the fact that most antidepressants used by mental health patients cause lack of saliva, which can lead to increased plaque and calculus, periodontal disease, and enamel erosion, it is easy to understand the degree of dental disease found in people with mental health problems.”

An initial survey undertaken of Bendigo Health mental health clients showed that 10% of clients had accessed dental services on an annual basis in the previous five years, 60% indicated that their dental hygiene could be improved, and 40% were currently experiencing some degree of dental pain.

“What strongly emerged from our research is that too many people with mental health problems have experienced too many barriers in accessing care, including stigma, fear or treatment, financial cost and lack of services,” Kenny said. This finding is supported by the medical and dental professions who agree they do not know how to reach or engage with people with mental health issues, she added.

About 25% of Australians suffer from a mental disorder, according to La Trobe. In 2003, 5.1 billion Australian dollars was spent on dental care, and it is estimated that by 2033 dental health expenditures will increase by 144%, the university said.