Oral Self Injurious Habits-A Review

Factitious or self-injury can be defined as a behavioural disturbance that consisting of deliberate damage to body tissues and is usually repetitive. It is well known that various developmental disabilities, psychiatric disorders and syndromes may precipitate episodes of self-injurious behaviour. Whatever be the underlying etiology, the wide range of clinical presentation of self injurious lesions often mimicking those of other diseases, makes the correct diagnosis of such lesions taxing even for the most astute of dental practitioners. Most frequently affected regions of the body are the oral and perioral tissues, hands and neck. Lesions are most common in lower lip & tongue followed by gingival and buccal mucosa. Clinically such lesions appear as ulcers on the gingiva or recession, trauma to tongue and lower lip resulting in chronic non healing ulcers. Early dental intervention in conjunction with pharmacological and psychological therapy may be significantly instrumental in improving the quality of life for such patients. Treatment is better if individualized be it extraction of offending teeth or fabrication of custom intra-oral appliances.