Dental Decay and Oral Findings in Children and Adolescents Affected by Different Types of Cerebral Palsy: A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare dental caries and oral findings in patients affected by different types of Cerebral Palsy (CP).

STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study involved 120 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of CP. WHO diagnostic criteria were used to determine DMFT (caries diagnosis), the pocket depth and attachment level (periodontitis diagnosis). Additionally, the study evaluated dental erosion, traumatic dental injuries, treatment needs index (TNI), oral habits, malocclusions, gingival overgrowth, and dental fluorosis.

RESULTS: The most frequent CP type was spastic (62.5%), followed by mixed (18.3%), ataxic (10%), and athetoid (9.1). Patients affected by mixed CP showed a higher prevalence in decayed, DMFT index and TNI compared with the other types of CP (p<0.05). The frequency of malocclusion in the clinical evaluation was 87.5% and in plaster models was 49.2%.

CONCLUSIONS: Dental caries was an important issue in mixed and athetoid CP groups. Oral habits and malocclusions were the most significant oral health problems in individuals with CP.