Bell's Palsy in Children-A Pedodontist's Perspective

Bell's palsy (spontaneous idiopathic facial paralysis), is one of the most common pathology afflicting the facial nerve which has a sudden onset. Bell's palsy is the most common cause of facial paralysis, involving per cent of facial palsies, when other causes have been eliminated. It has an incidence of 11–40 Garg KN, Gupta K, Singh S, Chaudhary S. Bell's Palsy: Aetiology, Classification, Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Consideration: A Review. www.journalofdentofacialsciences.com, 2012; 1(1): 1–8 per 100,000 per year, and most commonly occurs in females in their teens and twenties. The occurrence of Bell ’s palsy in children is a comparatively rare event and resolves uneventfully. The child patient with Bell ’s palsy presents a unique case scenario where the emotions of the family and the child have to be dealt and managed in an efficacious and sensitive manner. The distribution is almost equal in the thirties, with a slight predominance in males over 40. Untreated Bell's palsy leaves some patients with major facial dysfunction and a reduced quality of life, which may include physical, emotional and psychological issues. It is essential to rule out other causes of facial paralysis before making definitive diagnosis, which implies the intervention. An assessment of severity with an overview of management is presented in this review.