Behavioral and Dental Management of a Pediatric Patient Diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Case Report

This is a case report presenting the behavioral and dental management of a 9-year-old child recently diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, seizure disorder, and psychosis and treated with anticonvulsant and antidepressant medications. In this case, seizure semiology was presented as eye blinking during the attack, and the child was usually not conscious. It is absorbed by itself and associated with a post-sleeping attack that lasts for minutes.

Parents presented to the pediatric dental clinic with a chief complaint of decayed teeth that needs to be restored. The child has mixed dentition and is diagnosed with anterior crossbite and single posterior crossbite. The child was cleared by the pediatric neurologist and psychiatrist and had no contraindications to dental treatment under local anesthesia. The child's treatment was completed on the dental chair without any seizure attacks, and the patient's chief complaint was resolved.

Pediatric dentists should be educated about dental precautions and consider drug interactions when treating children with autoimmune encephalitis. Various types of non-pharmacological behavior guidance techniques and pharmacological methods of behavior management techniques can aid in the behavioral management of children with psychosis.

Alowi WA, Baghlaf K. Behavioral and Dental Management of a Pediatric Patient Diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Case Report. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(2):416-419.