Orthodontic management of a patient with cerebral palsy: Six years follow-up

Abstract

Aim: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects muscle tone,movement and motor skills. CP can also lead to other healthissues, including vision, hearing and speech problems, as wellas learning disabilities and dental problems. A case reportdescribing the successful orthodontic treatment of a 10-year-oldboy with the dyskinesia type of CP and severe malocclusion ispresented.Materials and methods: A 10-year and 2-month old boy waspresented by his parents for orthodontic treatment, complainingof his unsatisfactory occlusion and poor chewing efficacy. Anextraoral examination showed a convex profile. An intraoralexamination showed the patient to be in mixed dentition with aclass II molar relationship, 10 mm overjet and 4 mm overbite.In addition, his maxillary and mandibular arches were severelycrowded. Cephalometric analysis indicated a severe skeletalclass II discrepancy, which was confirmed by an ANB of 12°.The first phase of treatment involved the use of twin blockswith a headgear tube to attempt some growth modification andreduce the overjet. Once it was clear that the appliance wasbeing well tolerated and the oral hygiene was satisfactory, thefixed appliance was used.Results: Because of the good participation of the patient andhis parents, orthodontic treatment was successful in the patient,achieving a normal overjet in combination with successfulorofacial therapy.Conclusion: As demonstrated in our case report, the successof the treatment was dependent on the cooperation of thepatient and his parents. Furthermore, this case illustrates theimportance of the treatment by a dental team in patients with CP.