title: The use of a special mouthguard in the management of oral injury self-inflicted by a 4-year-old child.
abstract: This paper describes the management of self-inflicted trauma by a 4-year-old boy who was mentally retarded as a result of encephalitis in infancy. There was severe damage to his lower lip, as well as a moderate degree of injury to the skin and nail of his right thumb. Preliminary intervention was made with a mouthguard using silicone elastomeric positioner material, which soon proved ineffective because of poor retention. The problem was overcome successfully through use of a special appliance in which a heat-cured acrylic base was combined with a superstructure made of silicone positioner material retained mechanically with retention loops of 0.7 mm orthodontic wire.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paedodontics, Hacettepe University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Z C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Cehreli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olmez
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications; D008046:Lip / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D009064:Mouth Protectors; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012828:Silicones; D013933:Thumb / Q000293:injuries
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D012828:Silicones