Evaluation of the relationship between earthquake-induced post-traumatic stress disorder and tooth wear

Abstract Background: This study aimed to was to evaluate the effects of earthquake-induced post traumatic stress disorder on tooth wear and oral hygiene of individuals. Method: The study was conducted in a single centre and included 200 patients aged 18-70 years. The gender and age profile of the study participants was balanced. Voluntary consent forms were obtained from the participants and evaluated by a single operator. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder inventory (PTSD), Smith and Knight Tooth Wear Index and Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) were applied during the evaluation. Mann Whitney U test and Pearson Chi-Square Test were used to evaluate the data obtained. Bonferroni Corrected Z Test was applied for multiple comparisons. Results: In general, tooth wear was observed in all participants. The most common tooth wear surfaces were occlusal and cervical surfaces. The PTSD scores of the group which had experienced an earthquake were higher than those of the group which had not experienced an earthquake. There was no significant correlation between PTSD scores and tooth wear scores (p>0.05). The group with higher PTSD scores and those which had experienced an earthquake had significantly higher OHI-S scores (p<0.001). In the evaluation made according to gender, women's OHI-S scores were higher in the groups which had experienced an earthquake and in the groups who did not experience an earthquake. Individuals over 35 years of age had higher tooth wear scores and OHI-S scores than individuals under 35 years of age (p<0.001). Conclusion: Psychological stress in patients with post-traumatic stress symptoms was not found to cause direct non-caries wear on tooth surfaces. The high OHI-S scores obtained from the earthquake survivor group indicate that post-earthquake stress and changed lifestyle reduce oral care.