Dysphagia in a persistently vegetative patient improved by orthodontic treatment of severe dental misalignment.

Introduction: We describe the treatment of severe dysphagia in a patient left in a persistent vegetative state after an episode of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy following a traffic accident.

Case Report: A 38-year-old man was in a persistent vegetative state since a traffic accident in 2005, which resulted in cardiopulmonary arrest and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. His airway had been secured with a tracheostomy, and a gastric tube had been inserted; however, he continued to suffer from urinary tract infections, glossoptosis, and silent aspiration of saliva.