Integrated approach to outpatient dental treatment of a patient with cerebral palsy: a case report

The large number of oral manifestations associated with motor disorders in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) makes the dentist an indispensable member of the multidisciplinary team caring for this population. This case report presents an 11-year-old girl with spastic CP who had severe motor impairment, and a description of her care illustrates the importance of integrated care for patients with CP who are receiving outpatient dental treatment. It was determined that the use of adaptations based on knowledge of CP supported the outpatient dental treatment. The integrated approach used during dental treatment enabled the application of knowledge from the fields of dentistry, physical therapy, and speech therapy to provide for a better quality of life for the patient and, consequently, the caregiver through the improvement in the patient's oral and general health.