Non-suicidal self-injury: an unexplored cause of dental trauma

Description

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as intentionally causing destruction to one's skin or body without an intent to die.1 NSSI is a behaviour uncommonly noticed in adolescents and young adults. The prevalence rate of NSSI varying between 7% and 46.5% with 13–15 years is the distinctive age for adolescents.2 Most common form of NSSI are skin cutting, carving, scratching, wound picking and self-hitting. Individuals engaged in any of these activities were found to develop suicidal tendencies. Most common site of occurrence of these injuries is head, specifically oral and perioral tissues, hands and neck.3 The case presented here is a rare entity of NSSI presenting as dental trauma.

A 14-year-old boy reported to the Department of Paediatric Dentistry with his parents, with a chief complaint of broken upper front teeth. When history of trauma was discussed, parents revealed that the boy himself...

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