Oral rehabilitation of a patient with ankylosing spondylitis and orofacial pain: A case report

Oral rehabilitation of patients with skeletal disorders requires important considerations and precautions. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton which can also affect the peripheral joints including the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Patients with AS can suffer from skeletal pain during long dental appointments. Local, systemic, and psychological factors in this population can inadvertently complicate the diagnosis and treatment of their oral conditions. A case of a patient with AS and in need of oral rehabilitation is reported. Correspondence to: Mohammad Hossein Dashti, DMD, Clinical Associate Professor, Postdoctoral Prosthodontics, Department of Restorative Sciences and Biomaterials, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 100 East Newton Street, Boston, Ma 02118, USA, E-mail: [email protected]