A psychotic reaction to dental care--a case report.

Abstract

Behavioural reactions to dental procedures have not received sufficient attention in either the psychiatric or dental literature. In medicine, behavioral reactions have been studied in relation to many types of medical and surgical procedures [1-7]. In dentistry, behavior in the dentist’s office has been studied and related to maternal anxiety and to previous dental or medical trauma [8,9]. Behavior after the dental office visit has not received much emphasis, nor have adverse behavioral reactions been described as squeal to dental procedures. The patient to be described may represent an extreme example of an adverse reaction to a series of dental procedures, but the case is worthy of note.