Dental calculus contributing to impaired speech and deglutition: A rare case

Abstract

A 21 year female patient reported with the chief complaint of pain and difficulty while eating and swallowing food from past 15-20 days. Her mother complained about her silent mode most of the time. Patient revealed that she is having pain while speaking, therefore she avoid speaking from past few days. Patient was systemically healthy. Intraoral examination revealed plaque, heavy calculus deposits and bleeding on probing. In mandibular anterior teeth, calculus deposits extended till the lingual vestibule with respect to right mandibular central incisor (Figure 1a). Severe gingival inflammation was there. Calculus was irritating the lingual floor mucosa leading to pain while swallowing and speaking. Calculus contributes indirectly to gingival inflammation by providing fixed nidus to the microbial plaque, primary etiologic agent, for its retention near the periodontal tissues [1]. Mean GI [2], PPD and CAL were 3, 1.9 and 2.5 respectively for mandibular anteriors.