title: Functional appliance therapy to control drooling: a case of a child with mental retardation.
abstract: A 12 year old male child with mental retardation was referred to the department of Pedodontics and Preventive Children Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, with a complaint of severe drooling. Mouth closure exercises and speech therapy had failed to control the problem. The patient was given a functional appliance and a significant reduction in the severity of the drooling and reduction in the foul odor was found. Despite its limitations functional appliance therapy could serve as a useful alternative to the use of drugs or surgery in the control of drooling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Children Dentistry, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sharat Chandra
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pani
authors.forename: Amitha M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hegde
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000517:prevention & control; D016382:Orthodontic Appliance Design; D017289:Orthodontic Appliances, Functional; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014061:Tongue Habits