Dental implications of some common movement disorders: A concise review

Movement disorders – or dyskinesias – are characterized by involuntary movements. Despite the major role for medical specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of dyskinesias, dentists are confronted with such disorders as well. Unfortunately, the literature regarding the dental implications of movement disorders is still scarce. This concise review describes the dental implications of some common dyskinesias, viz., Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, Huntington's disease, idiopathic torsion dystonia, oral dyskinesias, and Parkinson's disease. It was concluded that these dyskinesias may have profound dental implications. Not only do generalized dyskinesias have focal manifestations in the orofacial region, but there are also dyskinesias that exclusively affect the orofacial area. The oral manifestations of dyskinesias are in part directly related to the disorder, and in part medicine-related. Dentists should be able to recognize the oral manifestations and, when properly trained, to manage them adequately. In most instances, a multidisciplinary approach upon referral is necessary, including the medical specialists involved. Unfortunately, the level of evidence of the selected papers was generally low. In our rapidly ageing population, it is a challenge for all of us to improve the quality of this emerging field, for the sake of this sometimes heavily infirmed category of patients.