Original scientific paper
Relationship of Psychological Characteristics and Oral Diseases with Possible Psychosomatic Aetiology
Ivica Richter
Iva Vidas
Petar Turčinović
Abstract
The object of the study was to determine the incidence of the following oral diseases, Aphthae recidivante, Lichen ruber planus, symptoms of xerostomia and stomatopyrosis, and oral parafunction, bruxism and dysgeusia and to examine their possible connection with different intensities of psychological characteristics of self-esteem, anxiety and neuroticism in a sample of inhabitants from the Gorski Kotar area.
The study consisted of 277 subjects in whom a detailed oral examination and oral testing were performed. Psychological testing was performed by using part of pychotest “18 PF”.
The examination showed that in the area of Fuæina and Lokava oral parafunction most frequently occurred (in 36.1% of subjects) aphthae lesions (19.2%), followed by bruxism (13.7%), xerostomia (12.27%) and stomatopyrosis (10.3%). Taste disorders (2.3%) and oral lichen (1.2%) rarely occurred.
The psychological examination indicated that there was a tendency towards a high level of self-esteem, low level of anxiety and still lower level of general neuroticism.
Positive correlation was determined between the occurrence of xerostomia, stomatopyrosis, recurring aphthae and bruxism in relation to the occurrence of anxiety, and stomatopyrosis and xerostomia with neuroticism. The findings were statistically significant, although on the basis of such descriptive examinations it is impossible to claim that the examined psychological characteristics are the cause of the occurrence of these diseases, only that they are significantly connected with their occurrence.
Keywords
psychosomatic oral diseases; self-esteem; anxiety; neuroticism
Hrčak ID:
2574
URI
Publication date:
15.3.2003.
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