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| 2010-22 |
| 22-1 |
ISSN (Print) 1013-9052
EISSN 1658-3558
The Saudi Dental Journal,
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| Tel. |
966-1-467-7328 |
| Fax. |
933-1-467-7308 / 966-1-467-7534 |
| Email |
saudidj@ksu.edu.sa |
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Obsessive compulsive disorder leading to unusual dental damage
Ahlam Faloudah*, BDS, Maysara Al Shawaf, BDS, MS *
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive thought and/or compulsive action that cause(s) distress and impairment in social interaction and performance.
OCD is not a rare condition in children. Its prevalence range is from 2 to 3% in the general population, with 66% being boys. Approximately 30% of these patients experience an onset between the ages of five and fifteen years. Two common types of compulsive activity are obsessive 'cleaning" and 'checking.' Children with OCD typically display bizarre behavior patterns that involve orofacial structures such as practicing excessive or ritualized tooth brushing that results in abrasion of the oral mucous membrane and teeth. Others may be mentally terrified by body secretions including saliva as manifested by continual spitting. In recent years, this obsession has come to include repeated spitting to remove the AIDS germs from the mouth. The literature has rarely reported cases of removal of body parts such as teeth as a ritual of alien and absurd behavior. This paper presents a case of a 10 year-old boy, who extracted by himself seven of his own teeth, five of them being permanent. He was under psychiatric treatment for OCD. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on recognizing dental findings in and dental management of children with obsessive disorder, including other oral destructions due to obsessive compulsive behavior.
Saudi Dental Journal 2000;12(2):83-87.
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