PURPOSE: to assess the occurrence of dental caries and treatment needs in children with cerebral palsy attended in the Disabled Child Assistance Association - Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; and the main difficulties regarding dental treatment. METHOD: a spontaneous-demand sample of 167 patients aged six to 12 years was composed. Caries experience was assessed with the criteria of World Health Organization. RESULTS: the majority of children (70.7%) had spastic cerebral palsy. About the health services accessibility, 46.1% of caregivers had difficulties and 34.1% reported a lack of trained professionals. Caries prevalence in deciduous dentition was 61.1% and 26.3% in the permanent dentition. Approximately 60% of the surveyed patients required some type of treatment for dental caries. Children with cerebral palsy in the state of Pernambuco have a more caries than those in other regions of Brazil. CONCLUSION: the findings revealed the need for improvements in the dental care offered to these children in a quantitative, qualitative, multidisciplinary, and integrated fashion, especially in the inland of the state.
Cerebral Palsy; Child; Dental Caries; Health Services Accessibility
