Investigating Oral Health Disparities in Individuals with Neurological Disorders Julia Lafen1, Ingrid Lofgren1, Leslie Mahler2 1Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences 2Department of Communicative Disorders Background Results Conclusions Neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and acquired brain injury (ABI), are diseases of the nervous system that impact functioning of the spine, brain, nerves, and muscles (1, 2). Globally, over 1 billion people are affected by neurological disorders and this number is projected to increase in the future (2,3). As a result of impairments in cognitive function and motor movement, many individuals with neurological disorders experience trouble with the fine motor skills, hand-eye-coordination activities, swallowing and chewing that can directly compromise oral health(2, 3, 4). There is currently limited research available that examines oral health in people with neurological disorders. Almost all (92.3%) participants met the recommendation of brushing teeth 2x per day Majority of participants were unsure if they regularly consumed fluoridated water Only 38% of participants used mouthwash on a daily basis Those with PD reported experiencing more cavities than those with ABI Future research should assess whether oral health practices decline as neurological diseases progress Table 1: Questionnaire results All (N=13) ABI (n=3) PD (n=10) Brush teeth 2x/day n (%) 12 (92.3%) 3 (100%) 9 (90.0%) Floss 5x/week 11 (84.6%) 7 (70.0%) Sometimes experiences bleeding gums 3 (23.1%) 1 (33.3%) 2 (20.0%) Has dentures/crowns/implants/fillings 8 (61.5%) 2 (66.7%) Experience dry mouth 5 (38.4%) 4 (40.0%) 2+ dentist visits/year 9 (69.2%) 6 (60.0%) Purpose Chart 1: Mouthwash use/week (N=13) Chart 2: Consumption of fluoridated water (N=13) To examine oral health practices in individuals with neurological disorders, specifically PD and ABI. Participants Average age: 67 years old 13 total participants 10 with PD 3 with ABI 3 female 10 male The Best Electric Toothbrush. 2013. The Sweet Home. The Best Electric Toothbrush. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. Using an electric toothbrush may help those with PD maintain oral health (5). Graph 1: Reported amount of cavities by diagnosis (N=13) References Shannon JB. 3rd ed. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2010. Print. "What Are Neurological Disorders?" WHO. World Health Organization, Feb. 2014. Web Bertolote JM. "Neurological Disorders Affect Millions Globally: WHO Report." WHO. 2007. Web. Aarli JA. et. al. Neurological Disorders Public Health Challenges. Rep. WHO, 2006. Web. Rai S. Moral and professional responsibility of oral physician toward geriatric patient with interdisciplinary management-The time to act is now!. J Midlife health. 2011.Web. Materials and Methods 11 item oral health questionnaire Individual interview of 13 participants Questionnaire was conducted once Questionnaire assessed: personal oral hygiene, fine motor skills and existing medical conditions Acknowledgements Participants of the URI Longitudinal Study Chelsea Paulin