The Dental Hygienist’s Role in Management in Oral Lichen Planus.

Abstract

Objective: To understand the dental hygienist’s role in the management of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). Signs of OLP are clinically seen as lacy white, raised patches of tissue and/or as red, swollen, tender patches of tissue. These lesions are most commonly visible on the buccal mucosa; other common locations are the gingiva, tongue, alveolar mucosa, and the palate. Patients with OLP typically experience a burning sensation or pain in the area. Our patient presented with generalized slight to moderate plaque induced and localized non-plaque induced gingivitis evidenced by hypersensitivity involving the papilla, white and pale pink gingiva, blunted, and sloughing papilla. Raised white patches were clinically noted on the left buccal alveolar mucosa, the left buccal mucosa, and with similar but fewer patches on the right buccal tissues. Patient indicated being more symptomatic a couple weeks prior to her visit, but she was unsure why. She expressed that the inside of her cheeks felt very painful and these symptoms “come and go.” Patient reported no history of medication. Her oral hygiene habits consist of brushing once a day with an electric tooth brush, flossing once a day, and using Listerine mouth rinse once a day. While there is no cure for OLP, current treatment includes systemic and topical corticosteroids. Palliative care during a dental hygiene appointment would include the use of topical and local anesthetics. When treating a patient with OLP, it is important that the dental hygienist recognizes the signs and symptoms in order to determine an appropriate care plan while keeping pain and discomfort to a minimum; and to provide the patient with the knowledge to care for lichen planus at home.