Dental caries in cerebral palsied individuals and their caregivers' quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

To study the correlation between caries experience in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and the quality of life of their primary caregivers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty-five non-institutionalized individuals, presenting CP, aged 2-21 years old, were evaluated for caries experience. Their respective caregivers aged 20-74 years old answered the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey and Independence Measure for Children. Fifty-eight non-disabled individuals (ND group), aged 2-21 years old, and their respective caregivers, aged 25-56 years old, were submitted to the same evaluation process as the CP group.

RESULTS

Primary caregivers of CP individuals exhibited significantly lower scores than the ND group in all subscales of the SF-36 health survey questionnaire: physical functioning, physical role, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional role and mental health. The CP group presented significantly higher values for the Decayed, Missed and Filled (DMF-T) index than the ND group and a significant negative correlation was obtained between the SF-36 and DMF-T index.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that caregivers of CP individuals exhibited worse quality of life than those of the non-disabled. A negative correlation exists between caries experience of CP individuals and their caregivers' quality of life.