Oral self-mutilation - ROS - 2017 - Tome 46 - N°2

INTRODUCTION
Self-mutilations have existed for such a long time that it is impossible to know when they appeared precisely. However, they seem to be more and more frequent in our modern society and are a complex phenomenon which has been constantly increasing since the sixties (Gicquel et al. 2007). We currently think that 4% of the general population might be concerned with selfmutilation, affecting both men and women (Klonsky 2003), with a higher frequency during adolescence. These data thus infer that self-mutilations could soon become a new issue of public health.

Limbs are the most affected areas for self-mutilations, although the head, and particularly the mouth and the peribuccal tissues are also widely affected (Gicquel et al. 2007, Gicquel and Corcos 2011, Medina et al. 2003): selfmutilations of oral mucous membranes are part of this new trend. In this context, the dental practitioner not only contributes to the detection and the symptomatic treatment of the self-inflicted lesions but may also help patients to choose and consult healthcare professionals capable of taking care of this type of pathologies.
Whatever the type of self-mutilation of the oral mucous membranes, a multidisciplinary collaboration including psychiatrists and psychologists remains essential.

Agenda