Treatment of self-injury lesions

Self-inflicted oral injuries of organic origin are particularly prevalent in certain diseases, syndromes, and systemic disorders: Lesch–Nyhan syndrome, a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, and mental retardation.

In this presentation we present the characteristics of these oral lesions and some modalities of treatment. It is most common in males in the early years of life, and the sites most frequently involved are the lower lip and the tongue. Therapeutic approaches in these patients have included psychological and pharmacological treatment, intraoral devices, and surgical procedures.  Intraoral devices are the best therapeutic option for self-injury of organic origin, although this approach is not free of complications. The current lack of standardized treatment protocols for oral self-injury means that therapy must be individualized.