Management of patients with facial paralysis in the dental office: A brief review of the literature and case report

In the dental office, the dentist may have to examine patients with facial asymmetry and functional disorders caused by facial paralysis (FP). Following clinical examination, it is important for the dental practitioner to establish whether FP was caused by injury to the facial nerve, and to focus on the site of the lesion and potential risk factors. The risks of dental treatment in a patient with FP should also be assessed. Through dental or surgical procedures, the dentist may cause transient or permanent FP. Interdisciplinary collaboration is required for the confirmation of diagnosis and etiology, and for the complex treatment of FP. This article aims to examine the role of the dentist within the multidisciplinary medical team and to present two cases with transient FP following intraoral anesthesia in the dental office. Keywords: dental office, dentistry, facial nerve, facial palsy, facial paralysis, oral medicine