December 2010

Objectives To examine caries experience, periodontal status, and oral hygiene practices of Chinese teenagers with cerebral palsy in Hong Kong. Participants Chinese students aged 12 years or older studying in the three special schools of the Spastics Association of Hong Kong were invited to participate. Clinical setting measures Caries experience and periodontal status were assessed by a clinical oral examination using World Health Organization criteria. Information on oral hygiene and snacking habits were obtained by a questionnaire. Information on medical history and mental status was obtained from school records. Results Of 65 students with a mean (±SD) age of 15.0±2.0 years, the majority (74%) had spastic cerebral palsy. About half of the participants (49%) had mild mental retardation and 31% had moderate mental retardation. Caries experience as the mean DMFT score (±SD) was 1.2±1.9 and 43% of caries remained untreated; however, 62% of participants had no caries experience. None of the participants had healthy gums, 57% had calculus, and 66% snacked between meals. They all practised daily tooth brushing, with or without caregiver assistance. About one third (33%) also used mouthrinse. There were no significant differences in caries experience between the participants who brushed their teeth with and those who brushed without caregiver assistance. Conclusions The mean DMFT score of this sample of Chinese teenagers with cerebral palsy was 1.2. Despite daily tooth brushing, the periodontal status of all participants was poor. Providing oral hygiene instructions and scaling are essential to improve their oral health. Key words: Caries, cerebral palsy, Chinese, periodontal, teenagers.