Untreated dental caries in children with cerebral palsy in the Brazilian context.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of untreated dental caries in children with cerebral palsy and to assess socio-demographic, behavioural, and clinical covariates.


METHODS
Cross-sectional assessment of 200 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (2-17 years old) enrolled in a specialized healthcare unit in São Paulo, Brazil. The dental examination followed the World Health Organization's guidelines for oral health surveys; familial caretakers informed on socio-economic status and behaviour; the patient's medical record informed their clinical status.


RESULTS
The proportion of children that presented at least one tooth affected by untreated caries was 49.5%. Poor socio-economic standings and a higher frequency of sugar consumption associated with a worse profile of dental health; different types of cerebral palsy (spastic, tetraparesis) did not. The prevalence of untreated caries was higher than reference values assessed for the overall population of the same age range.


CONCLUSIONS
The high burden of untreated dental caries on cerebral palsy patients reinforces the importance of the dentist in the interdisciplinary healthcare team attending these children. Factors associated with this outcome are the same for the general population; these findings underscore the necessity of implementing effective caries prevention in this population of cerebral palsy children.
De Camargo
Marcela Aparecida Ferreira
MA
Association for the Assistance of Disabled Children, São Paulo, Brazil.
Antunes
José Leopoldo Ferreira
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003441:Crowding; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D015995:Prevalence; D035781:Siblings; D012923:Social Class; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates