Telescopic retained overdentures in mentally handicapped and schizophrenic patients--a retrospective study

For a long time the dental treatment of choice for mentally handicapped patients was extraction of teeth due to the lack of oral hygiene. Recent studies show the possibilities of restorative and prosthodontic treatment even in this group of patients. The records of 58 patients of a psychiatric clinic treated with 84 telescopic overdentures were examined. The highest survival rates after 7 years were in the light mentally retarded group with 86% and the overdentures with 3 anchor teeth with 81%. Schizophrenic patients and overdentures with only one anchor tooth presented only 29% and 37% survival respectively. It can be concluded that the number of anchor teeth and the kind of mental illness should be considered when planning treatment for mentally handicapped patients with overdentures.