Key Points
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Neurological disorders may present in various ways including sensory disturbance, paralysis, altered level of consciousness, fits, speech disturbance, changes in muscle tone or bulk and tremor.
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Facial paralysis may be caused by stroke (upper motor neurone) or Bell's Palsy (lower motor neurone). Surgery in the region of the facial nerve, particularly parotid surgery may also cause dysfunction of the nerve.
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Facial sensory loss (trigeminal nerve) may be caused by extracranial nerve injury. Other causes include multiple sclerosis, stroke and tumours.
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Patients with epilepsy may severely damage the oro-facial tissues in Grand Mal attacks. A good history will alert the practitioner to those who are poorly controlled.
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Some of the drugs used for the treatment of neurological disorders impact on dental disease and its management.
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In patients with severe or complex neurological disorders, consideration should be given to referring such patients for management in a hospital setting.
Key Points
General medicine and surgery for dental practitioners:
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1
Cardiovascular system
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2
Respiratory system
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3
Gastrointestinal system
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4
Neurological disorders
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5
Liver disease
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6
The endocrine system
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7
Renal disorders
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8
Musculoskeletal system
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9
Haematology and patients with bleeding problems
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10
The paediatric patient
Abstract
There are a number of neurological conditions that may be encountered in dental practice. It is important that a dental practitioner has a broad knowledge of the main neurological conditions since they may affect the provision of dental treatment.
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Greenwood, M., Meechan, J. General medicine and surgery for dental practitioners Part 4: Neurological disorders. Br Dent J 195, 19–25 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4810275
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4810275
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