Oral health status of Chinese adolescents with cerebral palsy

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the oral health and oral hygiene habits of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong who had cerebral palsy. Methods: Students aged 12 years or above studying in three special schools of the Hong Kong Spastic Association were invited for this study. Parental consent was obtained and medical history of the subjects was checked before the examination. They were examined in the schools using dental mirrors, CPI probes and an intra-oral fiber-optic light. Information on the subject's oral hygiene habits was collected in an interview. Results: From the 89 children invited, 65 (36 boys and 29 girls) participated in this survey. Their mean age was 15.0 ± 2.0 years. Most of them, 74%, were spastic. About half (49%) had mild mental retardation and 29% were moderately retarded. They all practiced daily toothbrushing and about one third used mouthrinse. None of the surveyed students had healthy gum and more than half (57%) had calculus. Only one-third of them had caries experience in their permanent dentition and the mean DMFT score was 1.2±1.9. No significant differences in caries experience were found between boys and girls, and between those who were mentally retarded and those who were normal. Conclusion: The caries experience of the Hong Kong adolescents with cerebral palsy was not high but their oral hygiene and periodontal health status was unsatisfactory.