Diagnosis and treatment of occlusal dysesthesia: a challenge for dentistry. Integrative review

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Occlusal dysesthesia, also called phantom bite syndrome, is characterized by persistent and clinically unverifiable occlusal discrepancies. In 1976, the literature reported the first two cases, but the treatment approach has been based only on incomplete knowledge of the etiology, in which none of the proposed theories is fully explained in all available cases. The objective of this review is to show hypotheses about the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of occlusal dysesthesia.

METHODS: A literature search was performed in the following databases: NCBI/PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information) and Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online). The following descriptors were used in the search strategy: occlusal dysesthesia OR phantom bite AND temporomandibular joint disorders in Portuguese and English. A total of 166 articles were found, of which 18 met the eligibility criteria.

RESULTS: Etiologically, occlusal dysesthesia may be related to psychiatric disorders, phantom limb phenomenon and changes in proprioceptive input. The diagnostic criteria propose to evaluate the complaints of uncomfortable bite for more than 6 months, feeling of discomfort when biting, absence of occlusal discrepancy, associated emotional suffering, and failures in several dental procedures. Among several treatment modalities, the most accepted therapy is medication with the use of antidepressants such as milnacipran.

CONCLUSION: In patients with persistent occlusal complaints, the diagnosis should consider occlusal dysesthesia. The therapeutic approach must be carried out by an interdisciplinary team, which includes, in addition to the dental surgeon, psychiatrists and psychologists with experience in this area.