DENTAL CARE FOR A CHILD PATIENT WITH HOLOPROSENCEPHALY, CEREBRAL PALSY AND MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES: CASE REPORT
DENTAL CARE FOR A CHILD PATIENT WITH HOLOPROSENCEPHALY, CEREBRAL PALSY AND MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES
Keywords:
Cerebral palsy, Dental care for people with disabilities, Children's Oral HealthAbstract
This paper describes the dental care of a five-year-old female patient institutionalized in Porto Alegre,RS, diagnosed with holoprosencephaly, spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and multiple neurological,
metabolic, and anatomical comorbidities, including microcephaly, epilepsy, cleft palate, and gastrostomy
dependency. The patient, deprived of parental rights and placed in the Home of Santo Antônio dos
Excepcionais, presented severe motor limitations, swallowing disorders, recurrent aspiration pneumonia,
and required continuous use of seven medications. The dental examination revealed the absence of
the upper primary central incisor (61) and lower incisors, the presence of dental calculus on the
primary molars, and a high risk of sialorrhea due to orofacial alterations. The treatment plan
included calculus scraping, oral hygiene instructions, and periodic follow-up.
This case highlights the importance of specialized dental care for patients with complex health needs,
emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach, bedside care, and adaptive positioning during
care.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Marcia Cancado Figueiredo, Nathalia Machado da Silva , Ana Rita Vianna Potrich, Nicole Marchioro dos Santos, Clarissa Dutra Giacomelli, Simone Helena Ferreira
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