Authors : G.A. Scardina , F. Carini , G. Fuca , V. Valenza and P. Messina
Abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease of the central nervous system, involves the nerves of the spinal cord and brain. Common early symptoms include visual disturbances, facial pain or trigeminal neuralgia and paresthesia or numbness of feet, legs, hands and arms. Also, many of the medications used in the symptomatic management of the condition have the potential to cause Dry Mouth and associated Oral Disease. Patients taking these medications have a predisposition to hemorrhage and are particularly susceptible to infection. The principal side effects of the medications in the oral cavity are: Stomatitis, ulcers, gingivitis, candidiasis and certain other opportunistic infections (e.g. herpes simplex). Dentists should also be aware of the importance of this disease in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of certain oro-facial lesions or conditions. This study reviews the oro-facial manifestations of the disease and discusses the dental implications.
G.A. Scardina , F. Carini , G. Fuca , V. Valenza and P. Messina , 2007. Multiple Sclerosis: Oral Manifestations and Dental Implications. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 2: 444-448.