Associated factors to erosive tooth wear and its impact on quality of life in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

To evaluate the presence and associated factors of erosive tooth wear (ETW) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), as well as its impact on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Parents of 60 CP children, between 6 and 14 years of age, answered the Brazilian version of the parental-caregivers perception questionnaire (P-CPQ). The ETW diagnosis was performed by a single calibrated examiner according to the O'Brien´s modified index. Associated factors such as family income, behavioral factors, and type of CP were also collected. OHRQoL was measured through P-CPQ domains and total score, and Poisson regression was used to correlate ETW to associated factors and to the scores. ETW was present in 48.3% of the children. The multivariate adjusted model showed that the presence of ETW was associated with more than 2 days of soft drink intake per week (p = 0.003), daily intake of powdered juice (p = 0.002) and reported gastroesophageal reflux (p = 0.016). The family income higher than one Brazilian minimum wage showed a positive impact on the CP children's OHRQoL (RR = 0.53; p ≤ 0.001). ETW in CP children is associated to frequent consumption of soft drinks, powdered juices, and reported gastroesophageal reflux; however, ETW has not a negative impact on the OHRQoL.