Department of Pedodontics, Subharti Dental College and Hospital, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Correspondence: Dr Noopur Kaushik Senior Lecturer Subharti Dental College, Swami Vivekananda Subharti University, Meerut, U.P., India
Online published on 12 June, 2012.
Patients who present self-injurious behavior (SIB) are considered to be a treatment challenge in the dental office, as oral structures play an important role in the process of self injury. This article provides a psychological assessment of self-injury such as self-inflicted cutting, burning, hitting, and excoriation of wounds. It presents a structure for the assessment of self-injury that focuses first on the therapeutic relationship, and thereafter on the history and specifics of the behavior, its intrapersonal and interpersonal functions, and its antecedents and consequences.
Masochistic, Self-inflicted, Habits, Injury
