Factors associated with mandibular function impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease during social isolation due to COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze factors associated with mandibular function impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease during social isolation due to COVID-19. Methods: this cross-sectional, quantitative, analytical study used a database with 115 records of patients presented with this condition (obtained via telemonitoring in a research conducted in 2020) and assessed sociodemographic aspects and the Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire (MFIQ). The variables addressed in the associations were sex, age, marital status, denture use, disease duration, and daily levodopa dose. Results were obtained with the Fisher´s exact test, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: after analyzing the database, the final sample comprised 62 eligible records – 61% were males, 79% were above 60 years old, 63% wore dentures, and 93% had low severity of mandibular function impairment, according to MFIQ. No significant associations were found between the study variables and MFIQ (p < 0.05). Conclusion: the degree of mandibular impairment was low, and the study variables were not associated with mandibular function impairment in patients presented with Parkinson´s disease, during social isolation, due to COVID-19.