Case Reports and Reviews: Open Access

Abstract Severe mental illness (SMI) can often lead to severe neglect of self-care, including diminished oral hygienic practices. Medically complex patients, particularly adults, face hardship in finding affordable, consistent dental care that caters to their particular needs. If there are any additional barriers to treatment (i.e. financial, transportation, access, dental fear, imbalance of mental health status, etc.), treatment is at an increased risk of being delayed, aborted, or never initiated. All of these issues can lead to situations where caries control becomes the crucial first step in a comprehensive dental treatment plan where time is of the essence. Training healthcare practitioners who can recognize the challenges faced by their patients in maintaining their oral health and gaining knowledge in preventative options when faced with any delay of definitive dental care can improve the oral health options and outlook for their patients. It is also important for dental practitioners to gain practical knowledge of management and comprehensive treatment modalities for a patient with schizophrenia. The complex medical needs of the patient ties in closely with disease progression, further highlighting the need for dentists who engage and treat patients of varied medical complexity. Use of silver diamide fluoride can aid healthcare providers in preserving a patient’s dentition when comprehensive dental care is delayed. 

Keywords: Mental illness; Preventive dentistry; Rampant decay; Silver diamide fluoride.