Case Report

Year : 2019 | Volume : 4 | Issue : 1 | Page : 34-36

Gap Arthroplasty with Custom‐made Acrylic Mouth Opener

P. J. Nagarathna, Dimple Tirale, B. Paramod Krishna1, Rajdeep Singh1

Departments of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry and 1 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Chhattisgarh Dental College and Research Institute, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Dimple Tirale,

Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Chhattisgarh, Dental College and Research Institute, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India.

E‐mail: dimpletirale310@gmail.com

Abstract

Ankylosis of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involves the fusion of mandibular condyle to the base of the skull. When it occurs in a child, it can have devastating effects on the future growth, development of jaws and teeth, and also has a negative influence on the psychosocial development of the patient because of the obvious facial deformity, which worsens with growth. Impairment of speech and mastication, poor oral hygiene, caries, and compromise airway pose a severe psychological burden on the tender minds of children. Hereby, we present a case of 10-year-old female who reported with inability to open mouth, diagnosed with right bony TMJ ankylosis. The surgical approach consisted of gap arthroplasty followed by vigorous physiotherapy by custom-made acrylic mouth opener. The treatment of TMJ ankylosis poses a significant challenge because of technical difficulties and a high incidence of recurrence. It includes a team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, pediatric dentist, and anesthetist.

Keywords: Ankylosis, gap arthroplasty, temporomandibular joint

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article: Nagarathna PJ, Tirale D, Krishna BP, Singh R. Gap arthroplasty with custom-made acrylic mouth opener. Int J Pedod Rehabil 2019;4:34-6.