title: Dental care for patients who are unable to open their mouths.
abstract: There are a number of diseases and conditions that prevent the sufferer from adequately opening the mouth. The danger of inanition, malnutrition, chronic periodontal disease, caries, and abscessed teeth are very real to this population. Dental treatment issues include inadequate access to the oral cavity, inability to locally anesthetize mandibular posterior teeth, inability to gain access for traditional operative dentistry, and lack of clearance for most oral surgery procedures. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a discussion of the various conditions and then discuss the dental and anesthesia issues for this unique population.
authors.affiliation: Dentistry for Special People, 1910E Marlton Pike, Suite 9, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003, USA. dentspecpeople@aol.com
authors.forename: Burton L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Nussbaum
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill / Q000379:methods*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008865:Microstomia / Q000503:physiopathology; D020331:Mobius Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology; D009055:Mouth / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009221:Myositis Ossificans / Q000503:physiopathology; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000503:physiopathology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D014313:Trismus / Q000503:physiopathology