Prevalence of dental caries in children with cerebral palsy in relation to body mass index trends

Abstract

Backgroud and Objectives: Cerebral Palsy is an encephalic static lesion defined as a non-progressive disorder of movements and posture. Children with CP have a high rate of overweight and are at risk of overweight, particularly among ambulatory children. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. There is a high level of evidence which shows direct association between obesity and dental caries. There is also an existence of association between attention/executive functions and the development of dental caries in individuals with cerebral palsy. Various surveys have being conducted world wide in different ethnic populations to see the association between the caries development and BMI of children. Currently there is lack of data available in relation between BMI and prevalence of dental caries in children with cerebral palsy indicating the need for further well-designed studies to demonstrate the relationship between the two.