ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare the perception of caregivers regarding the oral health status of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and those with typical development. Study Design: Study group (SG) was composed of 35 children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of CP and their caregivers. Control group (CG) was composed of 35 individuals with typical development (matched with the SG for age, sex and caries activity) and their caregivers. Questionnaire was administered to caregivers addressing the oral health of individuals under their care. Caries activity, dmft/DMFT index, visible plaque index (VPI) and occlusal characteristics were determined. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in the perceptions of dental problems (p = 0.004) and gingival bleeding (p = 0.013). Individuals in SG whose caregivers perceived dental problems had a higher mean VPI (50.84 ± 5.11%) than those in CG (27.97 ± 6.50%). The mean dmft/DMFT in the SG was 2.77 ± 3.20. Class II molar relationship, overjet and anterior open bite were more prevalent in the SG. Conclusion: Caregivers of children/adolescents with CP perceive more oral problems, such as visible plaque, gingival bleeding and malocclusion, than caregivers of children/ adolescents with typical development.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Palsy , Dental Caries , Adolescent , Caregivers , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Status , Humans , Oral HealthABSTRACT
The dental pulp is a loose connective tissue located within rigid dentinal walls. Therefore, when subjected to a stimulus, the pulpal tissue has little expansion capacity. The defense mechanisms of this tissue include the formation of tertiary dentin as well as the production of signaling molecules that help in the repair. The dentin matrix is rich in growth factors (GFs) that, when diluted and diffused into the pulp tissue, aid the healing process of the dentinopulpar complex. The angiogenic GFs participate in this event. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent mitogen for endothelial cells, promotes endothelial cell survival and angiogenesis. Among its receptors, VEGFR-2 seems to be the most intimately associated with mitogenic activities, cell migration, vascular permeability, and survival of endothelial cells. This literature review addresses the cell-signaling process that occurs in response to a pulp stimulus up to its transduction in the target cell, describing the VEGF, as well as its characteristics and receptors. The reported studies have correlated the expression of VEGF and its potential functions that may have an impact on several dental specialties, thus indicating that further clinical investigations should be conducted in order to translate the results obtained until this moment primarily in laboratory experiments.
