Why does patient mental health matter? Part 3: dental self-neglect as a consequence of psychiatric conditions

Abstract

This is the third article in a series looking at psychiatric presentations in dentistry. Recently, the oral health of people with severe mental illness (SMI) has gained significant media attention after the Office of the Chief Dental Officer for England published a statement on the importance of prioritizing oral health for people with SMI. Furthermore, a consensus statement has set out a 5-year plan to improve oral health in people with SMI. In Part 2 of the series, we discussed how a psychiatric disorder can manifest as an orofacial obsession in the absence of dental pathology. This article explores the physical presentation of dental self-neglect, specifically how different psychiatric conditions could be linked to emergency dental presentations. A fictionalized case-based discussion is used to explore clinical presentations of orofacial obsessions and their potential relationship to psychiatry. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This paper emphasizes the role of the primary care dental team in recognition of psychiatric conditions, such as mood disorders, substance misuse and early psychosis.