Team Approach to Delayed Pediatric Vestibular Diagnosis: A Case Study

This report highlights the challenges of diagnosing pediatric vestibular neuritis following dental treatment and addressing fear avoidance behaviors. An 11-year-old boy came to physical therapy with vestibular dysfunction following dental treatment that was unable to be diagnosed by emergency department staff. The participant received multispecialty treatment for 6 weeks. Computerized Dynamic Posturography, Limits of Stability, Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Functional Gait Assessment, Dynamic Visual Acuity, and Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance. Most notable improvements were seen in Limits of Stability and Computerized Dynamic Posturography. The participant made a full return to school and sport. The difficulty of pediatric vestibular neuritis diagnosis led to fear avoidance behaviors that were addressed by a collaborative specialty approach. This is the first documented case of pediatric vestibular neuritis as a complication of a dental procedure with intervention focused on fear avoidance behaviors.