Challenges of caretakers of children with cerebral palsy in providing routine dental care: A qualitative study

Objective: To explore the challenges faced by caretakers while providing daily oral hygiene care to children with cerebral palsy (CP) using a qualitative framework. Design: A grounded theory qualitative study design was conducted from October 2023 to February 2024. Setting: Data were collected using pre-formed open-ended semi-structured interviews with participants, which were audio taped, translated, and transcribed manually by the authors. Participants: A total of 15 caretakers of children diagnosed with CP, who underwent oral health procedures at an institution in Chennai, India. Results: The difficulties faced by the caretakers of children with CP in providing routine dental care revolved around three themes: non-cooperation of the child, personal factors affecting the caretakers and limited development of motor and sensory skills in the child. Conclusions: This qualitative study highlighted the various difficulties faced by the caretakers of children with CP in providing daily oral hygiene.