| Resumo: |
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a permanent condition resulting from a non-progressive injury of the immature brain, which affects posture and movement, and may be accompanied by disturbances of cognition, perception, sensation, behavior, epilepsy, among others. Children and adolescents with this condition are more likely to develop oral diseases such as tooth decays, periodontal disease, bruxism and malocclusion. In this context, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the oral health conditions of individuals with cerebral palsy, as well as the perception of their caregivers regarding the oral health of children and adolescents, and whether these conditions are associated with the motor impairment of these individuals. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2017 to August 2017 in three reference centers in the treatment of individuals with CP in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The sample was composed by 35 children and adolescents with CP and their caregivers. The motor function was evaluated through the application of two instruments, GMFCS and GMFM88. For the assessment of oral health, indexes such as DMFT, IPV, Malocclusion, Dental Age, pH, Buffering Capacity, and Saliva Flow were evaluated. A semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed questions was used to evaluate socio-demographic data and the caregiver's perception regarding oral health. In this study, 65.7% of the children and adolescents were quadriplegic, 88.6% with spastic tone, the mother being their main caregiver and the main responsible for the oral hygiene. It is possible to observe a significant association (p < 0,05) between GMFCS categorized according to locomotion dependence and the presence of malocclusion, but not with gross motor function (GMFM88). It has been found that patients with altered dental age have a lower GMFM88 index than those with dental age within the normal range. In the assessment of the perception of oral health, caregivers of quadriplegic patients, wheelchair users and with greater impairment of gross motor function (GMFM88) perceive more oral alterations. However, it can be concluded that malocclusion and dental age are associated with gross motor function (GMFCS and GMFM88) and dental caries has been associated with better GMFM scores88. |
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