THE PREVALENCE OF MALOCCLUSIONS IN A GROUP OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Cerebral palsy (CP) represents for children an important problem of health. At complete neurological picture may be associated other problems, less studied comparative to other aspects of CP. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and determinant factors of malocclusions in children with CP. The study group included 129 children (43 girls and 86 boys) aged 2-18 years, diagnosed with various forms of cerebral palsy according to the proposal of Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe Group and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) after Palisano. The protocol of our study included general and neurological examination, psychological evaluation and dental exam. The data regarding oral hygiene were collected using a questionnaire administered to the parents. Dental examination recorded the 20 anterior/posterior cross bite and anterior open bite. Among the followed children with cerebral palsy, more than a half (77.52%) had poor hygiene of the oral cavity. Malocclusion was observed at 55.04% children with cerebral palsy. 69,01% of these patients were diagnosed with CP level III-V CMFCS and 30,99% were diagnosed with CP level I-II CMFCS. Orthodontic treatment was limited only at children with malocclusions and CP level I-III CMFCS. Poor oral hygiene was a predominant finding in our children with CP and the prevalence of malocclusions in these patients was found to be high. The severity of neuromuscular spasticity can favour the development of malocclusions and can be considered a determinant factor for these oral problems. Patient of paediatric age with cerebral palsy and malocclusion need orthodontic treatment, but the possibility of offering this treatment is limited.