Toothbrushing was not a common procedure at this institution. This study shows that it is possible to implement daily oral hygiene maintenance in disabled individuals. Furthermore, most participants will adopt more efficient toothbrushing behaviour when monitored daily.

In this study, the prevalence of malocclusion was found to be higher and more severe in intellectual disabled participants. The dental practitioner should understand the particular relevance of this problem especially in patients with intellectual disabilities where impaired oral functions and poor appearance may further complicate oral health and increase negative social responses.

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AimTo evaluate the impact of an oral health program for institutionalized individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and their caregivers, after 2 and 6 months.MethodsSixty‐two CP individuals in four homes were selected for intervention group (n = 31) and control group (n = 31). An oral hygiene practices questionnaire was applied to all caregivers at the baseline. Both groups received awareness sessions, practical demonstration of toothbrushing and adaptive techniques with role‐play. In the study group, individual oral hygiene monitoring was also performed in the first 2 months. A gingival and an oral hygiene indexes were performed at the beginning, after 2 and 6 months of intervention.ResultsThere was a significant reduction of gingival (p < 0.001) and oral hygiene (p < 0.001) indexes at 2 and 6 months in the intervention group with the most significant reductions at 2 months. Caregivers reported opening the mouth (84.6%) and swallowing toothpaste (61.5%) as the most important difficulties in performing toothbrushing.ConclusionIt was found that frequent and individualized monitoring of plaque control was essential to reduce dental plaque and gingivitis levels and that awareness sessions were not enough to produce clinically significant result.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of bruxism in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and evaluating the various factors associated Methods: One hundred and ten adults diagnosed with CP were selected from six institutions for people with special needs. Data were collected through oral examinations using the diagnostic criteria proposed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the modified scale of Asworth Results: Of the total sample, spastic tetraplegia was the most common type and half of the population presents severe intellectual disability. The prevalence of bruxism was 74,5%. Wear facets were observed in 67.9% of the sample, 59.1% of which were brilliant. There was a positive association between mixed bruxism (MB) and the spasticity classification. Through a logistic regression it was found that the risk of having MB and general bruxism (GB) is greater in individuals who have shiny wear facets. Conclusions:In the present study the high prevalence of GB indicates there is an urgent need for treatment options in people with CP. More studies are needed with standardized diagnostic protocols and representative samples to evaluate the factors that influence the presence of bruxism in this population and to establish an appropriate treatment planning.