A prospective clinical evaluation of fixed dental prostheses made of metal alloys in patients with cerebral palsy

Background: In general, the prevalence of caries and other oral and dental issues is increased in patients with disabilities, such as those with cerebral palsy. Providing appropriate dental treatment at a primary dental clinic for patients with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability, among other conditions, is challenging.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the longevity and investigate the related prognostic factors of fixed prostheses in patients with cerebral palsy.

Methods: The records of 36 cerebral palsy patients were used for collecting and analyzing data. A total of 155 prostheses made from metal alloys were finally included in this study. Annual failure rates were calculated; patient- and tooth-related variables associated with prosthesis failure were assessed by a multivariate Cox-regression analysis and frailty models to introduce random effects.

Results: The 10-year prosthesis survival rate was 62% and the 20-year survival rate was 36%. In terms of prosthesis-related variables, the type of prosthesis had a significant effect, and the hazard ratio of fixed partial dentures was 2.32 times that of single-unit crowns. In terms of patient-related variables, the presence of epilepsy had a significant effect on survival, and the hazard ratio for comorbid epilepsy was 3.76 times that for those without comorbid epilepsy.

Conclusions: Our findings suggested that fixed prostheses placed in patients with cerebral palsy might have a particularly low survival rate in cases with comorbid epilepsy. It might also be important to consider the type and/or design of the prosthesis carefully to ensure a better prognosis.