DENTAL CARIES IN ADOLESCENTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Abstract

Introduction. In cerebral palsy, spasticity of the chewing muscles is noted, which, against the background of motor disorders, adversely affects the features of the dental health of patients. The purpose of the study was to assess the incidence of dental caries and the intensity of its course in adolescents living in St. Petersburg and suffering from cerebral palsy. Materials and methods. To achieve the purpose of the study, 31 adolescents (22 boys and 9 girls) aged 14 to 17 years old living in St. Petersburg and suffering from cerebral palsy were examined. These patients made up 1 main group. For control, 75 adolescents (36 boys and 39 girls) aged 14 to 17 years old who did not suffer from any psychosomatic diseases were examined (control group 2). Result. It was found that, compared with their peers, adolescents living in In St. Petersburg and those suffering from cerebral palsy, against the background of unsatisfactory individual dental and oral care, there is a high incidence of dental caries (100%), which occurs in a decompensated form. All adolescents suffering from cerebral palsy needed dental rehabilitation measures. The low values of the index of the level of dental care (23.0%) also indicated an insufficient level of dental care among adolescents suffering from cerebral palsy. At the same time, dental caries in 13.33% of their peers did not occur at all. All adolescents in the control group performed well in individual oral care, and the level of dental care provided to them was good, which is also confirmed by indicators of the intensity of the carious process. Conclusion. Given the motor disorders that adolescents with cerebral palsy have, as well as the difficulties of oral care and dental treatment, they need special attention from dentists, who must teach parents, and then children themselves, the rules of dental and oral care, and also recommend them the most effective dental and oral care products, taking into account the low content of fluoride ion in drinking water in St. Petersburg.