LABIAL TAPPING IMPROVES ORAL CLINICAL PARAMETERS AND THE STAGE OF DROOLING OF CEREBRAL PALSY CHILDREN

Objective: To evaluate oral clinical and salivary parameters following labial tapping using rigid and flexible tapes on cerebral palsy (CP) children. Study design: Clinical parameters and whole saliva from CP children were collected before and after 30 days using rigid Micropore tape (n=19) or flexible Kinesio® tape (n=18). The parameters evaluated were the number of wipes used daily and the clinical stage of drooling, considering frequency and severity. Moreover, the salivary flow rate, pH and buffer capacity (total and in each pH range) were also evaluated. Results: Micropore or Kinesio® tape reduced the number of wipes used to control saliva escape (55.0% and 40.0%, respectively) and drooling severity and frequency (p?0.05), without causing any side effect. No clinically relevant salivary changes were associated with the use of either tape. No differences were observed between the parameters measured comparing the two groups treated with distinct tapes. Conclusion: The labial tapping improves the clinical stage of drooling without influence negatively the salivary secretion and composition in CP individuals.