Oral and maxillofacial manifestations of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system which mostly affects young adults living in the northern hemisphere. It is a disease primarily found in temperate climates, being rare in the tropics and increasing in frequency with distance from the equator. Canada has one of the highest prevalence rates in the world. Dentists should be familiar with the clinical manifestations that affect the oral and maxillofacial areas as well as patients' general health. Three of the most frequent oro-facial symptoms include trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal sensory neuropathy and facial palsy. 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 paper reviews 2 cases of multiple sclerosis, highlights its oro-facial manifestations and discusses the dental implications of the disease.