Journal Article

Oral findings in children with chronic neurological disorders attending Paediatric Neurology Clinic, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria

Onyejaka, N. K ., Aronu, A. E., Nwamba, N. P., Onyia, E. N., Ojinnaka, N. C.

2025

Overview

Background Chronic neurologic disorders (CND) comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders including disorders of motor and posture which mainly affect the body’s nervous system and have lasted for or are virtually certain to last for one year and produce at least one type of consequence namely functional limitation, reliance on compensatory assistance for functioning, or increased service. Objective The study identified the prevalence of dental diseases (dental caries, poor oral hygiene, traumatic dental injury) among children with CND. It also assessed the relationship between socio-demographic profile (age, sex, socio economic status) and presence of dental diseases in children with CND. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 80 children attending neurology clinic of UNTH, Enugu and 72 children used as control attending a primary school in the study area. Data on sociodemographic profile, past dental visit, oral hygiene status, presence of dental caries, tooth fracture, and neurological condition were collected. Oral hygiene status was assessed using Oral Hygiene Index by Greene and Vermilion, presence of caries was assessed using World Health Organization criteria and presence of tooth fracture was assessed using Garcia Godoy classification. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Association between the age, sex, SES, and oral hygiene, dental caries, traumatic dental injuries and Chronic neurological disease was conducted using Chi square test. P  < 0.05 was considered significant. Result The age range was 15 years and below and the mean age was 6.31 ± 4.05years. Many 39(48.8%) of the participants were 5 years and under, and a few 2(2.5%) were from a high socioeconomic class. For children with non chronic neurological disorder, there were more 39(54.2%) females than males 33(45.8%). Many children were aged 6–10 years and many 50(69.4%) were in the middle socio economic status. Epilepsy (66.3%) was the commonest neurological condition seen. There was significant association between oral hygiene status ( p  < 0.001) and the presence of chronic neurological disorder. Conclusion Epilepsy was the commonest neurological condition seen. A fifth (20%) of children with chronic neurological conditions had poor oral hygiene status and there was significant association between oral hygiene status and chronic neurological disorder among children in the study population.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adolescent / Age / Age Factors / Analysis / Care and treatment / Caregivers / Cerebral palsy / Child / Child, Preschool / Children / Children & youth / Chronic Disease / Civil service / Complications and side effects / Cross-Sectional Studies / Data collection / Dental caries / Dental Caries - epidemiology / Dental disorders / Dental enamel / Dentistry / Diagnosis / Disorders / Education / Epilepsy / Families & family life / Female / Health aspects / Humans / Hygiene / Hyperactivity / Injuries / Integrating oral and medical health care / Male / Medical care / Medicine / Methods / Motor ability / Needs assessment / Nervous system / Nervous system diseases / Nervous System Diseases - complications / Nervous System Diseases - epidemiology / Neurological / Neurological diseases / Neurological disorders / Nigeria - epidemiology / Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery / Oral diseases / Oral findings / Oral health / Oral hygiene / Oral Hygiene - statistics & numerical data / Oral Hygiene Index / Paediatric / Pediatrics / Population studies / Prevalence / Sample size / Schools / Self-care, Health / Sex differences / Sex Factors / Social aspects / Social Class / Sociodemographics / Socioeconomic factors / Socioeconomic status / Teaching hospitals / Teeth / Tooth Fractures - epidemiology / Tooth Injuries - epidemiology