Dentist:

contributing in mental
health

http://www.adha.org/CE_courses/course10/psychiatric_disorders.htm

DETECTING

CARING

DELIVERING ORAL HEALTH

CARE

Background
Medications used to treat mental
illness may interact with drugs used
in dentistry
Certain oral health conditions are
virtually diagnostic of a specific
mental illness and some have a
poorly understood association with
mental illness

 Enamel erosion, especially diagnostic if

the pattern of erosion is on the lingual
surfaces of the anterior maxillary teeth,
can be an indication of self-induced
vomiting, a characteristic of bulimia
nervosa and sometimes anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa usually (not always)
occurs in young women. They have an
abnormal perception of desirable body
weight or shape, are intensely afraid of
gaining weight or becoming fat, and do not
maintain a normal weight

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_qITBwroDE/Ths2uPU2qRI/AAAAAAAAADQ/sM4bSGvy7-s/s1600/tooth
%2Berosion.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://dulskidds.blogspot.com/2011/07/is-your-swimming-pool-safe-foryour.html&usg=__O4t11HPvnY0fE3cvyS6JsQaH18E=&h=321&w=514&sz=186&hl=id&start=3&zoom=1&tbnid=E0IJ8lb
u8RG8TM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=131&ei=myHSUM_8KsPZrQfI-oGABw&prev=/search%3Fq%3DEnamel%2Berosion%26um
%3D1%26hl%3Did%26tbo%3Dd%26biw%3D1138%26bih%3D492%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

 Patients with an eating disorder also

may have increased dental caries,
tooth hypersensitivity, margination of
restorations, osteoporosis, cardiac
abnormalities, muscle cramps, and
numerous other health problems
Gingival recession and tooth abrasion
can result from aggressive brushing,
often a characteristic of
perfectionists

http://www.colgateprofessional.c
om/patienteducation/Generalise
d-Loss-Of-Attachment-AndGingival-Recession/image

http://www.lemesosdental.com/dental
-advice/tooth-abrasion-&-erosion/en/6

 these signs can also indicate mania or,

in rare cases, cocaine abuse in the
form of rubbing on gingival
Xerostomia is often seen in patients
with mental illness.
It can be associated with bulimia,
depression, anxiety, systemic diseases,
including diabetes, dehydration, and
rheumatoid arthritis, or radiation
treatment to the head or neck region.

http://www.oralhealthnet.co.uk/detail/
3/dry-mouth-xerostomia/

 A typical odontalgia (AO) is an oral

pain disorder that, if misidentified,
can lead to unnecessary, irreversible
treatment
AO was thought to be a
manifestation of psychiatric disorder
This oral pain disorder is associated
with depression or other psychiatric
disorders, perhaps because the
perception of pain is affected by the
emotional state

http://www.mah.se/fakulteteroch-omraden/Odontologiskafakulteten/Avdelning-ochkansli/Kliniskbettfysiologi/Stomatognathicphysiology/Forskning/forskningsp
rojekt_individ/

Atypical odontalgia (AO)

is a severe chronic oral
pain condition, probably
caused by damage to the
nervous system

 It can be expected that making a

differential diagnosis between atypical
odontalgia and somatoform disorder with
pain symptoms will lead many more
patients to appropriate and effective
treatment for their pain.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD)
involve the joints and/or muscles active in
chewing
There is association between TMD and
mental illnesses such as depression,
anxiety, and substance abuse

http://monumentorthodontics.com/braces-treatment-optionsorthodontics/tmj-tmd.html

 Life stressors related to mood

disorders may lead to facial muscle
tension, bruxism, etc., which then
leads to TMD
Bruxism, as mentioned above, may
be related to stress or it may provide
a means of coping for patients with
constant intraoral pain. It can even
be a side-effect of antipsychotic and
antidepressant medication

Bruxism is the habit

of clenching or
grinding the teeth. It
most often occurs at
night during sleep,
but may also occur
during the day

http://bauerdentistry.com/services/nightguards-bruxism-tmj-treatmentsouth-tampa-fl/

Dealing with mental disorder

patients
Fear and distrust are common in
patients receiving oral health care,
especially in those with mental
illness. Patients who are fearful and
suspicious call for specific responses
in oral health care personnel

Have a nice day