title: Prosthodontic Rehabilitation of Patients with Bell's Palsy: Our Experience.
abstract: Bell's palsy is an idiopathic unilateral lower motor neuron paresis or paralysis of the facial nerve of sudden onset. It involves loss of muscular control on the affected side of the face. This paper reports the prosthodontic management of patients with Bell's palsy and also describes a technique to stabilize the jaw movements in complete denture patients using interim dentures. A 65-year-old male edentulous patient and a 55-year-old female edentulous patient reported to the department of prosthodontics to get their missing teeth replaced. They both gave history of facial paralysis and were diagnosed for Bell's palsy. Interim training dentures with flat occlusal tables were fabricated first to correct and stabilize their mandibular movements. During initial 4 weeks, there was poor functioning of the interim dentures. Gradually by 8(th) week the patients started stabilizing the interim dentures and were functional. After observing the improvement when the patients had no pain and could stabilize and use the treatment dentures successfully, definitive complete dentures were fabricated. This case report presents a systematic approach to successively rehabilitate edentulous patients with Bell's palsy.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Vyas Dental College & Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajapur
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Student, Department of Prosthodontics, Vyas Dental College & Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Nirban
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: Principal, Professor and Head, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Vyas Dental College & Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: V Jeevan
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Student, Department of Prosthodontics, Vyas Dental College & Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Sajad Ahmad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rah
authors.affiliation: Post-graduate Student, Department of Prosthodontics, Vyas Dental College & Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Sagar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thumar
keywords: Bell’s palsy; definitive complete denture; flat occlusal table; interim dentures