Summary
Advances in medicine, particularly in pediatric medicine, have enabled more premature babies to survive. While the majority of the survivors present trouble-free development, a significant number of all children present disabilities in their neural development. In premature babies, the neurological complications and consequences increase inversely with the gestational age and weight at birth. Cerebral palsy is the most common neuromuscular disability affecting these children, and as a group they also present a high risk of oral pathologies. The report of the present clinical case describes the dental treatment of a pre-school child with cerebral palsy, in outpatient conditions and without either pre-medication or general anaesthesia, based on a profound knowledge of the basic medical pathology and individual characteristics. The understanding of oral disease, the use of behavioral management techniques and raising awareness in the clinic, enabled the child’s deplorable state of oral health to be controlled and improved, thus contributing to a better quality of life. Preventative measures and the promotion and recovery of oral health in patients requiring special health care must be an integral part of dentistry. This requires the dental-pediatrician to form part of a multidisciplinary team specializing in providing proper treatment for the needs of this particular group.
KEY WORDS: cerebral palsy, disabled children, oral health.
How to cite this article
PINEDA, T. P.; DÍAZ, M. J.; ZAROR, S. C. & JANS, M. A. Dental treatment in pre-school outpatient with cerebral palsy. Int. J. Odontostomat., 9(1):101-106, 2015.
