Original scientific paper
Dental Health and Dental Care in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Renata Gržić
Danko Bakarčić
Igor Prpić
Nataša Ivančić Jokić
Anja Sasso
Zoran Kovač
Vlatka Lajnert
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine a difference between children with cerebral palsy (CP) and healthy children,
regarding health condition of teeth and oral tissuses. Disfunction of masticatory system, in children with CP, causes
many problems with mastication. Nonfunctional mastication is related with the consumption of mushy food and decresed
selfcleaning of occlusal and aproximal surfaces. All that leads to higher incidence of dental caries. Comparing the
DMTF/dft (decayed, missing, filled tooth) index, it is evident that there is no statistically significant difference in a tooth
morbidity between the group of healthy children and group of children with CP. The healthy children have statistically
significant more teeth with fillings with respect to children with CP. Extractions are more common in children with CP.
There is no statistically significant difference between those two groups regarding decayed teeth, one of components of
DMFT index. Decayed components are more common than the extractions and fillings in both groups, which shows the
insufficient curative care for all children in both groups. It can be concluded that there is a certain need of early beginning
and a better origanization of the preventive pediatric and dental care, in order to decrease the apparence of dental
decay and increase the level of dental health, in this challenged population.
Keywords
cerebral palsy; caries; masticatory units; DMFT/dft index
Hrčak ID:
72169
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2011.
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