A new article published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry describes a mouth-fixed implant-supported rehabilitation of a patient with myasthenia gravis (MG).
“Muscle weakness and fatigue, reduced denture stability, and the inability to provide maxillary dentures with a peripheral seal have compromised the ability [of the patient] to wear dentures,” wrote Abdusalam E. Alrmali, BDS, MFDS, RCS, MDS, of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and colleagues.
Read more about the MG symptoms
The article, which is in the form of a clinical report, is a step-by-step guide on how the patient was managed with a complete mouth-fixed implant-supported rehabilitation.
A 70-year-old patient was not happy with his existing removable complete dentures as he lacked manual dexterity to use it. Following the maxillary and mandibular fixed implant-supported restoration, the patient expressed that he was satisfied with the outcome of the procedure.
MG is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the neuromuscular junction. Weakness and fatigue of the muscles of the throat, eyes, and limbs are hallmarks of the disease. Some patients may even develop a so-called myasthenic crisis that leads to weakness in the respiratory muscles, which may lead to respiratory paralysis.
The progressive nature of the disease and the neuromuscular impairment that it causes may mean that patients with MG have reduced hand dexterity that can affect their daily life and, as in the case of the patient presented in this study, compromise their ability to perform oral hygiene routines or wear dentures. These points should be taken into consideration when providing these patients with an implant-supported prosthesis.
Reference
Alrmali AE, Saglik B, Sherif I, Wang HL. Complete mouth rehabilitation with fixed implant-supported restoration for a patient with myasthenia gravis: a clinical report. J Prosthet Dent. Published online July 7, 2023. doi:10.1016/j.prosdent.2023.05.027
