Dental procedures cause stress in children with cerebral palsy

Background To evaluate the level of stress during dental care in children and preadolescents with cerebral palsy through biological and psychological parameters. Material and Methods A total of 38 children aged 7 to 12 years were divided into two groups: one with 18 children with cerebral palsy and the other with 20 healthy children (control group). Saliva was noninvasively collected before and after dental care to analyze salivary biomarkers. The Frankl Behavior Scale and the Facial Image Scale were applied. Results After the dental procedure, cortisol levels were significantly higher (p = 0.02) in the cerebral palsy group than in the control group. Salivary alpha-amylase was not significantly different between groups. Regarding psychological parameters, anxiety was significantly higher (p = 0.00012) in the cerebral palsy group than in the control group. Conclusions There was a change in physiological parameters (salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase) and in psychological parameters (Frankl Behavioral Scale and Facial Image Scale) in patients with cerebral palsy, who exhibited higher stress and anxiety levels than did children without cerebral palsy. Key words:Ortisol, physiological stress, dental care, cerebral palsy, dental treatment anxiety.