Neuroplasticity And Oral Health Recovery Post-Stroke

Long-term impairments often develop as a consequence of stroke, including orofacial impairments that affect speech, swallowing, and oral hygiene, all of which are critical to the quality of the patients’ lives. The ability of the brain to reorganize itself following injury, known as neuroplasticity, has tremendous potential as a pathway to restore orofacial function and better oral health outcomes post-stroke. Reviewing the topic of neuroplasticity and its role in facilitating oral health recovery after a stroke, this article offers the notion of an interdisciplinary approach – combining neurological and dental care – in order to achieve the best outcomes for these patients. Recent studies from PubMed focusing on neuroplasticity and oral rehabilitation were reviewed through a narrative review. This included a selection of studies evaluating the effectiveness of repetitive orofacial exercises, sensory stimulation, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), all of which have been shown to promote cortical reorganization, improve orofacial motor control, and promote daily oral care practice.Results presented from reviewed studies showed that neuroplasticity-based interventions can significantly improve swallowing and orofacial motor function, helping stroke patients to be able to maintain oral hygiene and prevent stages such as aspiration pneumonia and dental disease. The integration of neuroplasticity-driven techniques into orofacial rehabilitation can improve recovery outcomes and contribute to improved quality of life in stroke survivors. These interventions should be standardized in future research and their long-term impact on both oral health and stroke recovery should be further investigated.

Neuroplasticity And Oral Health Recovery Post-Stroke Keywords:

Neuroplasticity , Oral health , Stroke recovery , Rehabilitation , Orofacial motor function