Dental Care For Myasthenia Gravis Patients: The 411
Posted on: 3 February 2016
Myasthenia gravis, also known as MG, is a disease of the autoimmune system that causes muscle weakness. Among other concerns, the disease's victims have to always be especially careful regarding dental and oral care. Muscle weakness in the facial and jaw muscles can sometimes create problems during dental appointments. This article takes a closer look at the issue.
Visits
If quite possible for a myasthenia gravis patient to tire out easily during a dental appointments. Visits should be kept short for this reason. Another good idea is to schedule visits in the morning because this is the time of day when the typical MG patient is at their best and has the fewest muscle and fatigue difficulties. Also, patients should try to schedule their dental appointments within 1 or 2 hours of taking any MG medications. This will help minimize any problems.
Patients who suffer from milder forms of MG should be able to have dental work done in a typical dental clinic or dentist's office. Patients who have more severe symptoms might need to have their dental work done in a hospital setting.
MG patients usually have periods when the symptoms are exacerbated followed by periods of remission. It's best to have all dental visits scheduled during periods of remission, if possible.
Complications
MG patients are generally at greater risk for drug complications than the average dental patient. A number of the medications that are frequently used in dentistry may worsen an MG patient's muscle weakness. In some cases, a bad drug interaction can weaken the muscles of the respiratory system and cause breathing difficulties. For this reason, it's vital that dentists and other oral care providers are informed of a patient's MG status before any medication is given.
Props
Mouth props are devices that are often used on children or sedated patients. They help keep a person's the mouth open so that that the dentist can perform the dental work smoothly. These devices may also be useful for some MG patients whose weakened facial or jaw muscles make it difficult for them to open their mouth for an extended time.
All myasthenia gravis patients need to make certain that their family dentist knows about their condition. This allows the dental care provider to formulate an appropriate treatment plan for the patients and greatly reduces the risk of complications due to the MG. Anyone who wants more information about this very important topic should consult with their dentist. Contact a dentist, such as Thomas E Rider, DDS and Allison S Reese, DDS, for more information about how to cope with this condition.
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