Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a limiting deficiency, characterized by a permanent neuromotor disorder which affects movements, resulting in non-progressive lesions of the immature brain during the neuro psychomotor stages. Epidemiological studies of premature births correlated with the presence of high levels of inflammation in the umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, and fetal blood, being that one of the most relevant underlying physiopathological mechanisms includes inflammation and intra-amniotic infection, with inflammatory response and damage to the developing brain. Recently attributed to the excessive production of cytokines, CP inflammation is mostly modulated through diet restriction, intestinal dysfunction, and drug intake. The high prevalence of convulsive crises in individuals with CP (77%) on its own does not bring about post inflammatory and post convulsive cytokine synthesis, treated with antiepileptic medication. In these individuals, there is high incidence of intestinal constipation (47%), besides oral dysbiosis, gingival bleeding and even greater increase in chronic inflammation. The dysbiosis causes an increase in mucous permeability (leaky-gut) of the gut-brain axis, and increase in seric endotoxin, demonstrating a persistent inflammatory state, and supporting the emergence of new side effects, which can become the object of future research.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of oral hygiene performed by caregivers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) during the moments before and after three months of oral health instructions.  Methods: In a longitudinal study, 102 participants were joined in two groups:  G1 (n=51) composed of children and adolescents (C/A) with CP and G2 (n=51), composed of their caregivers.  Sociodemographic and oral hygiene habits were collected and evaluated using the Visible Plaque Index (VPI) and Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), before and after oral hygiene orientation.  The Qui-Squared, ANOVA 1, and tStudent tests were applied.  P < 0,05. Results: The C/A group with pattern clinical CP tetraparesis, diparesis and hemiparesis were homogeneous in terms of gender (P = 0,07), however differed in age (P < 0,05), the youngest being diparetic. No difference was observed when comparing VPI and GBI before and after instructions in oral health for the three clinical types (P> 0,05).  However, a reduction in the VPI and GBI indexes (P < 0,05) before and after, in each of the three clinical patterns. Most of the caregivers were female, married, with a high school degree, and they performed oral hygiene three times per day.  The caregivers presented significant drops in VPI and GBI after receiving oral hygiene instructions.  (P < 0,05). Conclusion: Oral hygiene instruction is fundamental for the caregivers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy since it is an effective form of controlling health problems.