REVIEW article
Front. Dent. Med.
Sec. Systems Integration
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fdmed.2025.1628802
Orthodontic Considerations for Managing patients with Functional Movement Disorders: A Narrative Review and Clinical Guide
Provisionally accepted
- University at Buffalo, Buffalo, United States
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Background: Functional Movement Disorder (FMD) is a neurological condition involving involuntary movements without structural brain or nerve damage. It can significantly affect the craniofacial region, disrupting facial and oral motor functions and complicating dental and orthodontic care. This narrative review outlines the clinical presentation of FMD, emphasizing its relevance in orthodontics and offering a clinical management guide. Findings: A systematic approach is proposed, detailing strategies from the initial screening visit through active treatment, retention, and post-retention stages. Key strategies include using fixed appliances for better control, scheduling shorter visits to reduce symptom aggravation, and incorporating distraction techniques. Collaborative care with neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, physical therapists, and dental professionals is vital, addressing both motor and psychological factors.Specialized training, improved diagnostic methods, and customized treatment plans are crucial for managing FMD in orthodontics. These efforts are necessary to optimize care and outcomes for affected patients.
Keywords: functional movement disorder, Craniofacial region, Orthodontics, Spasm, Tongue movement
Received: 10 Jun 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Al-Jewair, Zylalaj and Poursattar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Thikriat Al-Jewair, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.