PREVENTION OF DENTAL CARIES IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Abstract

Abstract. Studies of the dental status of children with cerebral palsy (CP) indicate a highprevalence and intensity of damage to the teeth hard tissues.The aim is to develop a set of preventive measures against caries in children with cerebralpalsy and determine its effectiveness.Material and methods. The study included 55 children (mean age of patients was 8.4± 2.7 years) with spastic forms of cerebral palsy, which were divided into 2 groups:Group I (35 patients) – children with cerebral palsy, whom the developed set of preventivemeasures was applied to; Group II (20 children) – children with cerebral palsy, whowere given only recommendations for optimal hygienic care of the oral cavity. Allpatients underwent neurological examination, dental status, study of biochemical andimmunological parameters of oral fluid were determined.Results and discussion. Most of the examined children with cerebral palsy had spasticforms, therefore the tactics of preventive dental procedures were carried out taking intoaccount the neurological symptoms of the underlying disease. A set of treatment andprevention measures for dental caries in children with cerebral palsy was developed,which included correction of identified risk factors, correction and control of individualoral hygiene, sealing or preventive coating of fissures and blind pits of teeth and a setof local measures to normalize the teeth mineralization processes. The reduction of theincrease in the intensity of caries after the application of the proposed complex in a yearwas 53%, the reduction of the increase in the intensity of caries of permanent teeth - 30%.Conclusion. The effectiveness of the proposed complex was confirmed by a significantimprovement in oral hygiene, a decrease in acidic acid activity in the oral fluid and anincrease in alkaline phosphatase activity, an increase in the concentration of secretoryimmunoglobulin A (by 51.1%, p˂0.01).