Factors associated with dental caries experience of Thai preschool children with cerebral palsy

Aim: To investigate the factors association with dental caries experience in the primary dentition of Thai preschool children with cerebral palsy. Methods and results: A cross-sectional study was conducted among sixty Thai preschool children with cerebral palsy, aged 3-6 years old. Caries experience was determined by identifying decayednon-cavitated and cavitated lesion, missing, and filled surfaces of deciduous teeth(dmfs). Sociodemographic data, CP motor types, dietary habits, oral health behaviors and dental plaque index were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to identify the strength of the association between factors and dental caries experience. The prevalence of dental caries was 91.66%. The average dmfs was 20.30 +/- 21.63 surfaces/individual. The multiple linear regression indicated that dmfs was significantly associated with snacking carbohydrate between meals more than two times/day beta +/- SE = 0.372 +/- 0.125; p = 0.004, spastic type of cerebral palsy beta +/- SE = 0309 +/- 0.124; p = 0.015 and one-time daily tooth brushing beta +/- SE = 0.306 +/- 0.124; p = 0.017. Conclusions: Nine out of 10 preschool children with CP experienced dental caries. Spastic type of CP had more risk to develop dental decay. Caries prevention for preschool children with CP should emphasis on controlling the frequency of carbohydrate snack no more than two times/day and reinforcing tooth brushing at least twice daily.