Oral factitious injuries.
The subject of oral factitious injuries is reviewed and four cases are reported. It is noted that self-inflicted oral injuries are not limited to the soft tissue but may result in destruction of bone and tooth structure. While children are more often the subjects of self-injurious behavior about the oral cavity, adults may also exhibit similar conduct. Emotional problems are often co-existent with self-inflicted oral injuries, however, in some cases there does not seem to be a readily descernible emotional disturbance. Since factitious injuries often pose diagnostic problems for the dentist, some diagnostic suggestions are included.
Oral factitious injuries. The subject of oral factitious injuries is reviewed and four cases are reported. It is noted that self-inflicted oral injuries are not limited to the soft tissue but may result in destruction of bone and tooth structure. While children are more often the subjects of self-injurious behavior about the oral cavity, adults may also exhibit similar conduct. Emotional problems are often co-existent with self-inflicted oral injuries, however, in some cases there does not seem to be a readily descernible emotional disturbance. Since factitious injuries often pose diagnostic problems for the dentist, some diagnostic suggestions are included.