Comparative Assessment of Dental Caries Status and Selected Salivary Constituents in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Aim: To assess and compare the dental caries status and selected salivary constituents in cerebral palsy children and healthy children. Methods: A total of 100 children aged between 3 to 13 years were included in the study. The study group consisted of 50 children with cerebral palsy registered under the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore, and the control group consisted of 50 healthy children who visited the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, V S Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore for a routine dental check-up. Salivary constituents like calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride were assessed using salivary kits. Dental caries was recorded according to WHO criteria. Results: Salivary calcium, potassium, chloride, and phosphorous levels were increased and salivary sodium and magnesium concentrations were decreased in cerebral palsy children when compared to healthy children. Statistically significant results were obtained only in salivary potassium and phosphorous levels and the DMFT/dmft scores were higher in cerebral palsy children when compared to healthy children. Conclusion: Children with cerebral palsy are more prone to dental caries when compared to healthy children due to various factors like motor and coordination difficulties, food pouching due to difficulty in swallowing, and poor oral care and hygiene. The variations seen in the salivary electrolyte concentrations in cerebral palsy children could also be a causative factor for the increased risk of developing dental caries and negatively affecting the quality of life in these children.