Extra - Oral Mainfestations and General Appearance

The oral health of patients with alcohol-related disorders may vary significantly from those patients who are not affected by alcohol.

The list of oral manifestations is lengthy and many of the manifestations can be associated with other systemic diseases, also. Following are extra-oral manifestations associated with these patients:

• alcohol smell on breath
• rhinepyma (red, beefy nose
• dilated blood vessels which produce spide petechia on the nose
• facial edema, including baggy eyes, producing a bloated appearance
• Jaundiced skin or mucosa - light, yellowish in color
• redness of the forehead, cheek and nose
• broken teeth or dentures, facial cuts and bruises (due to facial injuries from falls or other trauma resulting from intoxication)
• angular chelitis - in this population this is associated with poor nutrition and depression of the immune system
• chronic asymptomatic bilateral swelling of the parotid gland which may preceed liver cirrhosis - may also have submandibular salivary gland involvement

 

Other general appearance features include:

 

• tremor of hands, tongue, and eyelids which may be signs of withdrawal
• poor coordination
• poor judgment
• decreased motor performance along with lengthened reaction time
• irregular pulse and increased blood pressure
• personality changes

 

 

Which of the following is NOT an extra-oral manifestation associated with alcoholism: a. dilated blood vessels producing spider petechiae on the nose b. enlarged, spongy moles on the nose c. angular chelitis d. bilateral swelling of the parotid gland e. facial edema

 

An irregular pulse and increased blood pressure may be present in an alcoholic patient. True False

 

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