Dental-craniofacial manifestation and treatment of rare diseases

Rare diseases are typically genetic, chronic, incurable disorders with a relatively low incidence, and a number of dental and craniofacial manifestations are associated with such diseases. A team headed by En Luo and Hanghang Liu at Sichuan University in China conducted a large-scale review of the manifestations and treatment of rare diseases related to dental and craniofacial disorders. The authors found that in their early stages, several rare diseases exhibit distinctive dental and craniofacial characteristics. Provided they understand the clinical features, dentists and oral surgeons are the individuals best placed to make an early identification of such diseases. The authors believe that their findings will help clinicians fully grasp the related clinical signs and potential treatments of rare diseases, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and patient management as well as improving prognosis.