Objective: To characterize oral health in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients from countries with different economies.

Background: Oral diseases are the most frequent conditions globally and their prevalence and severity are linked with socioeconomic status. In PD, oral health is often neglected, despite its connections with motor and non-motor symptoms, quality of life, and possibly disease pathogenesis.

Method: Cross-sectional analysis of over 200 participants from the international multicentre observational OralPark study. Clinical information on motor and non-motor symptoms, as well as quality of life, were collected through neurology assessments and self-assessment questionnaires. Information on oral health was collected through self-assessment questionnaires. We compared the clinical and oral health characteristics of patients from developing economies with patients from developed economies. We also stratified patients according to disease severity in mild (H&Y stage 1-2) and moderate/severe (H&Y stage 3-4-5) groups and compared their clinical and oral health characteristics. Finally, we identified the determinants of general dental health status and oral health-related quality of life in this cohort.

Results: Of the 216 participants in the OralPark study, 140 (64.8%) were from developed economies (UK, Greece, Romania, Italy, Sweden), while 76 (35.2%) were from developing economies (India, Malaysia). Patients from developing economies had a worse general dental health status (p <0.001), poorer oral hygiene measures (p <0.001), and a worse oral health-related quality of life (p <0.001) compared to patients from developed economies. The severity of oral health conditions did differentiate between mild and moderate/severe stages of PD, however, there was a trend towards worse oral health in the more advanced stages. Determinants of poor oral health status were male gender (p=0.002) and increased cognitive burden, measured as NMSS domain 5 (p=0.035). The severity of H&Y staging was a significant predictor of poor oral health-related quality of life (p <0.001).

Conclusion: There are global differences in oral health conditions among countries with different economies. Cognition seems to be a significant predictor of general dental health status, while disease severity is a major determinant of oral health-related quality of life.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/oral-health-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-from-countries-with-different-economies-preliminary-results-of-the-oralpark-study/