Kolkata doctors help 10-year-old close mouth after 900 days of rare neurological disorder

Doctors at a government-run dental hospital in Kolkata have successfully treated a minor girl who was unable to close her mouth for more than 900 days due to a rare autoimmune neurological disorder. The child, around 10 years old, had been living with the condition for nearly two and a half years before the breakthrough treatment.

The girl was diagnosed with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, damaging the nerves that control jaw and facial muscles. Despite receiving treatment at multiple hospitals within and outside the state, her condition showed no improvement, leaving her mouth permanently open for about 912 days.

Prolonged inability to close the mouth led to serious complications, including drying of the oral cavity, loss of jaw balance and abnormal upward movement of teeth. A special medical board was formed at R Ahmed Dental College and Hospital to assess the case and plan an urgent intervention.

Doctors concluded that removal of the posterior teeth was necessary to enable closure of the jaw and prevent further damage. Following the procedure, the child can now close her mouth, significantly reducing the risk of infection and dental erosion, while treatment for the neurological condition continues.