Gradual Deprogramming of Self-Inflicted Oral Trauma Habit in a Child with Cerebral Palsy

The purpose of this paper is to report the successful noninvasive treatment of a self-inflicted traumatic lesion on the lower labial mucosa in a 22-month-old boy with cerebral palsy. An acrylic appliance was cemented on the anterior maxillary region to reduce repetitive self-injury by gradual deprogramming. The wound healed after a few weeks, but four weeks after the appliance was removed new trauma was observed at the site. The appliance was replaced by a new one on the anterior region of the mandibular arch, and complete remission of the habit was achieved after three weeks. In order to prevent relapse, the appliance was gradually reduced in size with carbide drills every two weeks and was removed three weeks after the final reduction. After 24 months of follow-up, the labial mucosa was completely healed and no recurrence of the traumatic habit has been observed.