Functional appliance therapy to control drooling: a case of a child with mental retardation.

A 12 year old male child with mental retardation was referred to the department of Pedodontics and Preventive Children Dentistry, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, with a complaint of severe drooling. Mouth closure exercises and speech therapy had failed to control the problem. The patient was given a functional appliance and a significant reduction in the severity of the drooling and reduction in the foul odor was found. Despite its limitations functional appliance therapy could serve as a useful alternative to the use of drugs or surgery in the control of drooling.