Prevención de enfermedad periodontal en adolescentes con parálisis cerebral.

Abstract

Children and adolescents with cerebral palsy are partially or totally dependent on their caregivers for daily activities such as feeding, mobility, and general and oral hygiene. Therefore, the risk of developing oral infections such as dental caries and periodontal diseases is high. The objective was to identify strategies for the prevention of periodontal disease in adolescents with cerebral palsy. A systematic review was carried out that included 20 studies with different research designs, half of the articles were cross-sectional studies. The risk factors are the lack of oral hygiene of patients because they are not independent in this sense and their caregivers tend to neglect this aspect, as well as the increase in saliva osmolality. There are barriers to access to oral health services for this population, including the difficulty in transporting patients, lack of accessibility for patients with reduced mobility, fear of the dentist by patients and their caregivers, and fear of the professional in caring for patients with this condition. The ideal oral hygiene measures for the prevention of periodontal disease in adolescents with cerebral palsy are the same as for the general population, mechanical plaque removal through brushing. Proposals to adapt these practices to patients with cerebral palsy include the design of custom-made brushes.