Movement disorders in dental practice

The purpose of this chapter is to review the classification, clinical phenomenology, diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders. These conditions are characterized by abnormalities in voluntary movements, or by the presence of involuntary movements. Dentists are frequently confronted with movement disorders. Abnormal movements can be located in the orofacial area and thereby complicate dental management, especially in prosthodontics and restorative dentistry. Movement disorders that do not involve oral structures can still affect oral health due to difficulty performing oral hygiene or inability to sustain prolonged and extensive dental procedures.