Myasthenia Gravis is a muscle-related condition that can gravely affect a person's ability to maintain his oral hygiene. This is due to the fact that the patient normally has weakened muscles on the face, making it extremely hard for them to make the necessary movements needed when brushing one's own teeth.

What is Myasthenia Gravis is a type of autoimmune disorder, a neuromuscular disease that usually results to muscle weakness and fatigue primarily in the face. This makes the muscles get tired and weakened more easily than what is normal. Muscle control is improved after a considerable rest which is partly one of the reasons why there are people with Myasthenia Gravis which are not diagnosed because they tend to disregard the symptoms as just simple conditions of fatigue.

This is often manifested whenever a person suffering from this disorder tries to eat. Within a few minutes of chewing and swallowing, his muscles weaken and get tired, making it hard or even impossible to finish his meal. Often, a few minutes of rest will restore the muscles and the person can continue finishing his meal.

This is also the case wherein a Myasthenia Gravis patient loses facial muscle control while brushing or flossing his teeth. This makes it harder for him to continue brushing, and as such may just decide not to continue with it. This can result to a very poor dental hygiene habit and later on will pave the way for further worse dental conditions such as tooth decay, gingivitis and halitosis.

If a patient is chronically having difficulties brushing, an electric toothbrush may help alleviate this condition. It will require less muscle control from the patient while still providing the appropriate brushing strokes to maintain good dental hygiene.

Another facial muscle that can greatly suffer from this condition are the muscles that control the movements of the tongue. When these muscles get easily tired or fatigued, it makes it difficult for the patient to swallow and thus finish eating. There can also be grave difficulty in talking due to lessened control of the tongue.

Myasthenia Gravis patients may also have a hard time keeping their dentures in place due to the weakened state of their facial muscles especially on the mouth. It may also be caused by poor fitting of the dentures due to the weakened muscles.

As with any neuro-related disorders, a person suffering from this condition may even require the assistance of a caregiver to help him manage his overall dental hygiene. This may be necessary for those whose condition has started to worsen with more frequent occurrence of facial muscle fatigue. A family member may also conduct the teeth brushing and other necessary dental hygiene procedures but a caregiver is more suited for the task because he or she is professionally trained to assist with such disorders.

While Myasthenia Gravis is a grave disorder which might even result to paralysis, it is still possible for the patient to enjoy a better quality of life with the help of medicines, proper equipment and more importantly, with the assistance of dedicated people.