Phantom Bite - A Case Report of a Rare Entity

• Main Authors: Shraddha Shetti, Kishor Chougule
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2012-01-01
• Series: Journal of Dental and Allied Sciences
• Subjects: Phantom Bite; Occlusal dysesthesia.
• Online Access: http://www.jdas.in/article.asp?issn=2277-4696;year=2012;volume=1;issue=2;spage=82;epage=84;aulast=Shetti;type=0

A case report of a patient suffering from a relatively uncommon condition called ′Phantom Bite′ is presented with the aim to provide the fellow orthodontists & general dentists with an overview of potential diagnostic & treatment challenges posed by patients who present with occlusal dysesthesia. A clinical case illustrating the nature of this condition is presented & the problems associated with the management of affected patient are discussed. The patients suffering from Phantom bite syndrome have one symptom in common ; that is, they feel that their bite is not correct & their iterative belief in the need for dental treatment to accomplish correction. Since this condition is associated with an underlying psychological problem, treatment of such patients poses a greater challenge to the operator. Thus, it can be concluded that ′Phantom Bite′ or ′Occlusal Dysesthesia′ is seen as a form of somatoform disorder where dental treatments should be avoided & instead the focus must be on addressing the somatoform disorder through behavior change.