4/3/13 PTSD patients damage teeth through involuntary grinding, clenching, UB study finds

scienceblog.com/community/older/2001/D/200114456.html 1/2

March 2001

From University at Buffalo

PTSD patients damage teeththrough involuntary grinding,clenching, UB study findsCHICAGO -- As if persons with posttraumatic stress disorder didn'thave enough to worry about, research now shows their stress-relatedsymptoms could be damaging their teeth. An oral health assessment ofpatients with long-term posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at theBuffalo VA Medical Center, conducted by periodontists from theUniversity at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, revealed significanterosion of tooth surfaces among PTSD patients compared to controls.

The patients also had significantly more tooth plaque and gingivitis, a formof gum disease. Results of the research were presented here today(March 8, 2001) at the annual meeting of the American Association forDental Research.

Teeth of PTSD patients showed increased erosion vertically andhorizontally near the gum line, as well as on biting surfaces, said SebastianCiancio, D.D.S., professor and chair in the Department of Periodontology inthe UB School of Dental Medicine and senior author on the study.

"This wearing away of the tooth surface along the neck of the toothwhere the enamel meets the root surface may be caused by bruxism andclenching, which is high in this group of patients," he said. "The increasedplaque and gingivitis suggests that these patients, perhaps because oftheir illness, do not carry out good oral hygiene compared to non-PTSD

Berlin: 2:48 am Boise: 6:48 pm Bridgetown: 8:48 pm Hong Kong:

4/3/13 PTSD patients damage teeth through involuntary grinding, clenching, UB study finds

scienceblog.com/community/older/2001/D/200114456.html 2/2

patients." Bruxism, or grinding the teeth, and clenching are involuntaryactions that occur primarily during sleep.

The study involved 40 patients at the VA Medical Center diagnosed with100 percent disability due to PTSD who came to the center's dental clinicfor treatment. They were compared with 40 sequential dental clinicpatients without PTSD. The PTSD patients were receiving standardtreatment for their condition. All participants received an oralexamination and evaluation of tooth wear.

Results showed significantly increased wear of tooth surfaces in threedimensions near the gum line -- vertical, horizontal and depth -- in thosewith PTSD compared to controls. Erosion vertically was more than threetimes greater, horizontally more than four times greater and more than 10times greater in depth than controls. These results were consistent withdocumentation of habitual tooth grinding and clenching among persons withPTSD, Ciancio said.

"Dental patients with PTSD need additional treatment planning to preventfurther loss of tooth surfaces," he said, "and need to work with theirdentist to rehabilitate the damaged teeth."

Also participating in the study were Margaret Vitello, dental hygienist atthe Buffalo VA Medical Center, and Guy Ditursi, D.D.S., clinical instructorin the UB Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences and Buffalo VA MedicalCenter.

This article comes from Science Blog. Copyright 2004http://www.scienceblog.com/community

Archives 2001 D

Berlin: 2:48 am Boise: 6:48 pm Bridgetown: 8:48 pm Hong Kong: