The evaluation of oral health in stroke patients

Objective: As tooth loss has been suggested as a potential risk factor for stroke, oral examinations were carried out on stroke patients to review the oral condition of those patients. Method: The subjects were patients consecutively discharged from the recovery rehabilitation unit of Hiroshima City General Rehabilitation Center between April 2008 and December 2009. All patients were offered oral examination and 358 of 443 patients accepted. Patients receiving dental examination were divided into two groups: one group comprising stroke patients and the second, patients with other disorders. These two groups were then compared for the number of remaining teeth by age group. Results: Among the examined patients, the number of remaining teeth in stroke patients in their 50s and 60s was significantly lower than for patients in corresponding age groups (18.4 ± 9.4 vs. 24.5 ± 5.4 and 18.3 ± 9.2 vs. 22.2 ± 7.2, respectively, with p < 0.05 for both age groups) who were hospitalised for other conditions. In addition, the number of remaining teeth in stroke patients in their 50s was also significantly lower than the number reported in the Survey of Dental Diseases (24.1 ± 6.1; p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest an association between tooth loss and early occurrence of stroke.