An evaluation of occlusion of cerebral palsied children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide information concerning occlusion and related problems in cerebral palsied children. A group of 124 cerebral palsied children between the ages of 6 and 12 years were examined at the Cerebral Palsy Dental Clinic, Indiana University. The occlusion was evaluated according to Angle's classification. In addition, a recording was made of overjet, over-bite, open bite, cuspid relationships, crossbite and midline discrepancies. The examination included a clinical evaluation of the swallowing pattern of each child. The cerebral palsy classification and I.Q. scores were recorded for each cerebral palsied child after a comprehensive review of his medical record. These findings were compared with a control group of 141 similar aged non-cerebral palsied children examined at Indiana University, Pedodontic department. The cerebral palsied group had an average increased overjet of 0.8 mm. and an average decreased overbite of 0.5 mm., representing an upward and outward positioning of the maxillary anterior segment. Anterior open bite was present in a similar percentage of both groups, but in the cerebral palsied group the measurement recorded was more than twice as great as that recorded in the control group. Forty-four per cent of the cerebral palsied children exhibited bruxism, more than twice the percentage of cases recorded in the control group. The cerebral palsied children exhibited bruxism most frequently in the day time, and was most common in the athetoid group. Other measurements recorded were not significantly different between the two groups. From this study one can conclude that malocclusion and factors affecting occlusion are not found with greater frequency in cerebral palsied children.