With increases in the ageing population of individuals diagnosed with mental health conditions, the demand for outreach medical care is expected to rise. In Japan, the government's push for deinstitutionalisation has led to a growing emphasis on a community‐based comprehensive care system. This system in Japan integrates medical, dental, nursing, social welfare, and other supportive services within the community, aiming to enable individuals, including older adults and those with mental health conditions, to continue living in their familiar environments, while receiving appropriate long‐term care and support. This shift has highlighted the importance of outreach psychiatric care.
Due to the side effects of psychiatric medications, such as dry mouth, patients with mental health conditions are at a higher risk of dental problems. However, their indifference to self‐care and alexisomia (reduced body sensation) often lead to a lack of complaints about dental issues. 1
Our preliminary survey of 168 patients receiving outreach psychiatric care reveal that approximately 67% required some form of dental care. This preliminary survey was conducted from July 10, 2024, to August 9, 2024. We obtained verbal consent from each of the patients for participation and sought additional input on their dental care needs from their families and the psychiatric care team. We also asked the patients about specific oral issues they were experiencing, such as tooth pain or persistent dry mouth. Although our findings primarily underscore the importance of patient and psychiatrist awareness and collaborative efforts between dental and psychiatric teams, it is also conceivable that limited familiarity with mental health conditions among dental professionals may hinder patients from receiving appropriate dental care. Enhancing dentists' training in mental health issues could help address these unique challenges and ensure that dental care is fully integrated into patients' overall healthcare plans. These needs were identified not only by the patients themselves but also by their families and the psychiatric care team. Despite this, two‐thirds of these patients did not seek dental treatment. Dental problems can exacerbate mental health conditions, emphasising the need for preventive and treatment‐focused dental care. 2 Ageing and deteriorating mental conditions can further hinder patients' abilities to visit community dental clinics. 3
Given the limited research on the intersection of mental health conditions and dental care needs in outreach settings, comprehensive clinical studies including prospective or observational studies examining barriers to the utilisation of dental services, oral health status, treatment adherence, mental health stability, quality of life measures, and the effectiveness of integrated outreach interventions and the development of training programs on various mental health conditions for dentists are warranted. In clinical practice, the acquisition of knowledge about mental health conditions in older adults is essential for dental practitioners. 4 , 5 This perspective is based on the understanding that many dentists receive limited formal training in managing patients with mental health conditions, potentially hindering effective communication, fostering hesitancy in treatment, and reducing the likelihood that dental care is fully integrated into their overall healthcare plan. 6 Moreover, effective collaboration between psychiatric and dental teams is crucial.
In conclusion, addressing the dental needs of patients with mental health conditions is essential for protecting their rights to receive appropriate medical care and improving their quality of life. Failing to provide accessible and appropriate dental care for individuals who cannot seek or obtain such services independently due to their mental health conditions could be viewed as undermining their fundamental right to adequate healthcare. The right to health is formally established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, codified across various international human rights treaties, and embedded within numerous national constitutions. Outreach dental care, coupled with targeted training and interdisciplinary collaboration, can significantly contribute to meeting these needs.
Funding
This research was funded by KAKENHI from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), grant number 22K10141 to AT.
Disclosure
The authors declare there are no competing interests.
Ethics statement
The study received approval from the Ethical Committee of the Medical Corporation Group.
Patient consent statement
Oral informed consent was obtained from all participants.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
References
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Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.