Seizure disorders. Update on medical management for the dental clinician. A pacemaker for the brain.

There have been many papers reviewing the dental office assessment and management of the patient with a seizure disorder. This paper will discuss two updated medical management issues which may impact dental office care of the seizure patient. The focus will on the use of a pacemaker-like device connected to the vagus nerve as part of seizure control. Also presented is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) update on the increasingly recognized medical side effects of antiseizure (antiepileptic) medications which may impact a dentist's interaction with a patient.