Caries burden and high-risk subgroups in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in Türkiye
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Enhancing the Development and Growth of Infant Cerebral Palsy Rats Using Selective Spinal Manipulations
Published on: February 2, 2024
Esra Tunalı1, Şeniz Karaçay2, Arda Tabancalı3
1Department of Orthodontics, University of Health Sciences, Hamidiye Faculty of Dental Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. esrauclertunali@gmail.com.
Insights
Dental caries are highly prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Türkiye, with a significant subgroup experiencing a much higher burden of disease. This highlights the need for targeted oral health interventions for this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health
- Craniofacial Health
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts children's overall health, often including oral health.
- Assessing oral health status and caries experience in children with CP is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
- The Significant Caries (SiC) Index helps identify individuals with disproportionately high caries experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the oral health status of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Türkiye.
- To determine the prevalence and severity of dental caries using ICDAS-mapped categories.
- To identify high-risk subgroups for dental caries using the Significant Caries (SiC) Index.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 51 children with CP.
- Clinical examination for dental caries (dft+DMFT) and lesion severity (ICDAS-mapped).
- Assessment of plaque accumulation (Silness-Löe index) and caregiver-reported oral hygiene, feeding, and dental attendance.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of ICDAS-mapped lesions (94%) and a mean dft+DMFT score of 4.12.
- The SiC value of 8.41 indicated a subgroup with a markedly higher caries burden.
- Suboptimal oral hygiene practices were noted, including infrequent brushing, use of inappropriate toothpaste, and persistent nighttime bottle use, all associated with caries.
Conclusions:
- Dental caries are highly prevalent in children with CP in Türkiye.
- A significant high-risk subgroup with concentrated caries burden was identified using the SiC Index.
- The findings underscore the need for improved oral hygiene education and targeted preventive strategies for children with CP.
Purpose:
To evaluate the oral health status of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Türkiye and to examine the distribution of caries experience using the Significant Caries (SiC) Index to identify high-risk subgroups.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 51 children with CP receiving services from the Spastic Children's Foundation. Clinical examinations assessed dental caries using combined dft + DMFT scores, whilst lesion severity was evaluated using a three-category clinical classification mapped to ICDAS levels. Plaque accumulation was assessed using the Silness-Löe index. Caregivers completed structured questionnaires on oral hygiene practices, feeding habits, and dental attendance. Descriptive statistics were used. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD or median (IQR). Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages with 95% confidence intervals.
Results:
ICDAS-mapped lesion prevalence was 94% and the mean dft + DMFT score was 4.12 ± 3.59. Lesion severity distribution based on ICDAS-mapped categories showed a predominance of moderate lesions. The SiC value was 8.41, indicating a subgroup with markedly higher caries burden. Although 86% had a toothbrushing habit, only 43% brushed twice daily. Of those using toothpaste, 59% used fluoride-free children's toothpaste and 34% used adult toothpaste. Nighttime bottle use persisted in 55% and all with this habit had caries. The mean plaque index was 1.25 ± 0.99. No caregiver had received oral health education.
Conclusion:
Dental caries amongst children with CP in Türkiye are highly prevalent and concentrated in a high-risk subgroup identified by the SiC.
More Related Videos
07:20Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Action Observation Training in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
08:26Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Published on: January 11, 2016