Physiotherapeutic Approach in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Systematic Review

Abstract

One of the most poorly recognized and inadequately managed diseases, oral submucous fibrosis progresses over time. Betel nut eating is the foremost cause of oral submucous fibrosis. One such condition is oral submucous fibrosis, which is characterized by severe trismus, disability, and a higher risk of cancer. The mouth opening gradually decreases, which is related to difficulty eating, altered gustatory sensation, and mouth dryness, leading to decreased oral intake. The main and beginning signs include decreased mouth opening, pain, difficulty eating, dry mouth, and blanching of the buccal mucosa. This is treated first with medication, then with exercises for the mouth that a physiotherapist has recommended. However, the function of a physical therapist is not clearly defined. Physiotherapy may be used with other therapies to treat oral submucous fibrosis. Mouth-opening exercises, ultrasound, and other therapeutic interventions are available. This article tries to describe the kind of physical therapy that can be recommended for treating oral submucous fibrosis. It is crucial to understand pain management, physiotherapy management for grade III and IV oral submucous fibrosis various additional exercises, modalities and their ideal dose, and strategy for the long-term effect of the treatments to conduct further research.