Prior to visiting the dentist, provide the practice with this information sheet to help make your treatment safe and comfortable.
I have Parkinson’s
- Parkinson’s is a progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder.
- Primary motor symptoms include rigidity, tremor, slow movement, postural instability, difficulty speaking, decreased facial expression and weakness of face and throat muscles.
- Primary non-motor symptoms include loss of smell, sleep disturbances, depression, excessive saliva, anxiety and cognitive issues.
- Prior to treatment, please talk to me about any potential drug interactions with my Parkinson’s medication.
Communication
- Please allow additional time for responses because my symptoms include difficulty speaking. I may need a longer lead time before responding to questions.
- My decreased facial expressions can make it difficult to express discomfort while I am in the chair. Can we agree on a physical signal for me to use when I am having trouble swallowing or need a break?
Treatment
- Please use more frequent suction during cleaning, as my cough reflex may not be as strong as other patients.
- Please look for excessive loss of tooth structure; Parkinson’s tremors of the orofacial musculature and the use of levodopa medication may cause bruxism.
- Please keep the dental chair at an incline of 45° or higher to enable comfortable swallowing.
- I may need help to get into and out of the dental chair slowly to reduce the likelihood of falls.
Download the tips sheet
Source: Parkinson’s Disease: Systemic and orofacial manifestations, medical and dental management. The Journal of the American Dental Association
