Caries prevalence after submandibular duct retroposition in drooling children with neurological disorders

This study is a long-term follow up of 17 patients surgically treated for uncontrolled drooling, by retroposition of the ducts from the submandibular glands. Mean age was 16.8 years (range 7-31), with an average postoperation time of 9.2 years (range 1-18). Clinically, no subject revealed an impression of an extremely dry mouth, but most patients showed obvious permanent decrease in drooling after the surgical treatment. They had a highly significant increase in caries prevalence of the mandibular incisal and canine area, and this caries prevalence was related to the severity of cerebral palsy.