title: Risk factors for dental caries among children with cerebral palsy in a low-resource setting.
abstract: To describe the oral health status and investigate factors affecting dental caries experience among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in rural Bangladesh.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among children with CP who are part of the Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register (BCPR) study. Caries experience was measured by identifying decayed, missing, and filled teeth for deciduous and permanent teeth (dmft/DMFT). Clinical periodontal index, body mass index, oral hygiene behaviour, masticatory ability, and dietary habits were recorded. CP motor types and severity of functional mobility (Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS]) were assessed.
  
  
  
  Of 90 children with CP (mean age 9y 7mo, range 2-17y, 37.8% female and 62.2% male), 35% of 2 to 6 year olds, and 70% of 7 to 11 year olds (p=0.014) experienced caries (dmft+DMFT>0). The mean values (standard deviation [SD]) of dmft and DMFT were 2.46 (3.75) and 0.72 (1.79) respectively. After adjusting for age and sex, binary logistic regression analysis showed a significant relationship with dental caries for children who had quadriplegia (odds ratio [OR] 5.56, p=0.035), tooth cleaning less than one time/day (OR 0.08, p=0.016), using toothpowder or charcoal for cleaning (OR 7.63, p=0.015), and snacking between meals more than one time/day (OR 6.93, p=0.012).
  
  
  
  Early oral health preventive care is required for children with CP because dental caries is highly prevalent in these children.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rahena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akhter
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Nur Mohammad Monsur
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: CSF Global, Dhaka, Bangladesh.|Asian Institute of Disability and Development, University of South Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muhit
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of South Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammad Raziul
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.affiliation: Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7888-872X
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smithers-Sheedy
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.|Marie Bashir Institute of Emerging Infection and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Badawi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of South Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh.|The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.|Marie Bashir Institute of Emerging Infection and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Gulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khandaker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index