A dental perspective of facial palsy

Abstract

Facial palsy affects patients in more ways than one would at first think. The aesthetic signs are obvious for all to see, the psychological problems less so. Then there are the functional problems that blight many patients’ lives. Eating, drinking and speaking are everyday tasks that become difficult to do. Adequate oral hygiene is hard for patients to sustain when they have difficulty opening their mouth, and suffer from a dry mouth and food trapping. To understand and increase awareness of these issues, it is valuable to look initially at the aetiology of facial palsy. This informs the specific symptoms and subsequent management of the condition.

Laser acupuncture in the treatment of neuropathies in dentistry: a systematic review

“…Paresthesia is considered a sensorineural disorder, which causes the individual to have an abnormal sensation (spontaneous or evoked) [ 9 ] in the area of the affected nerve and is related to dentistry because it often occurs after surgical procedures (e.g., the third molar extraction and orthognathic surgery) [ 14 ]. Facial paralysis affects nerve impulses sent to the muscles of the face, and in most cases, it is characterized by idiopathic facial paralysis, known as Bell’s palsy [ 36 ]. This condition is associated with dentistry because its pathology can be caused by the application of local anesthetics to the capsule of the parotid gland during a blockage of the inferior alveolar nerve [ 37 ], as well as its symptoms, which can interfere with the opening of the mouth and, consequently, hinder oral hygiene and cause xerostomia due to the facial nerve, which also controls salivary production, thus impairing the oral health of patients who come to the dental office with paralysis [ 36 ].…”

“…Facial paralysis affects nerve impulses sent to the muscles of the face, and in most cases, it is characterized by idiopathic facial paralysis, known as Bell's palsy [36]. This condition is associated with dentistry because its pathology can be caused by the application of local anesthetics to the capsule of the parotid gland during a blockage of the inferior alveolar nerve [37], as well as its symptoms, which can interfere with the opening of the mouth and, consequently, hinder oral hygiene and cause xerostomia due to the facial nerve, which also controls salivary production, thus impairing the oral health of patients who come to the dental office with paralysis [36].…”