title: Comparison of oral health status between children with cerebral palsy and normal children in India: A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present research was to describe and compare the oral health of children with cerebral palsy (CP) with the normal children in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty children with CP of the age range 7-17 years and fifty normal children were selected for the study. An oral examination was carried out and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index, oral hygiene index-simplified (OHI-S) index, Angles malocclusion were charted along with other significant dental findings. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test and Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dmft/DMFT of the CP group was 4.11 ± 2.62, while that of controls was 2.95 ± 2.75, which showed higher caries prevalence in the CP group. There was a significant association between the dmft/DMFT (P = 0.03), OHI-S (P = 0.001), and Angles Class 2 malocclusion and CP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cerebral palsy group had higher caries, poor oral hygiene and Class 2 malocclusion when compared to controls primarily because of their compromised general health condition and also less dental awareness. Effort should be made for better organization of preventive dental care and promoting dental health of this challenged population.
authors: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Nidhi
authors: N
authors: Sinha
authors: Department of Prosthdontics, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Bijay
authors: B
authors: Singh
authors: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Kumar Gaurav
authors: KG
authors: Chhabra
authors: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Santosh
authors: S
authors: Patil
keywords: Caries; cerebral palsy; malocclusion; oral health