A case of self-inflicted gingival injury in a 25-year-old male patient caused by compulsively overzealous oral hygiene practices is presented. Such injuries are rare among adults and, therefore, can be difficult to diagnose. Most reported cases have involved children who produced their injuries during periods of emotional turmoil. Evidence in this case indicates that this patient may have initiated the destructive process as a child. Guidelines which many help the clinician recognize self-inflicted gingival injuries are presented.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.