Abstract
Although it is normal to swallow air, excessive air swallowing is liable to produce discomfort in the stomach, stomachache, the post-prandial feeling of fullness and belching. This condition is called pneumophagia and is a form of functional dyspepsia. We report a case of functional dyspepsia due to malocclusion in a woman in her sixties who complained chiefly of malocclusion and breathing difficulty.
The patient first sensed malocclusion after receiving a bridge in region (5) (6) (7) at dental clinic A in the autumn of year X-1. She asked the dentist of A dental clinic about this condition and he answered that there was no occlusion problem. She next visited dental clinic B, where she asked the dentist to remove the bridge. A temporary bridge was provided but her condition worsened with insomnia, breathing difficulty, flatulence of the stomach and decreased appetite. She visited doctors of internal medicine and the ear, nose and throat but even thorough examination by them revealed no cause. She then returned to dental clinic A to inquire about her condition. The dentist advised her to receive an examination at dental hospital C, which she visited in year X. A dentist of the department of dental prosthesis adjusted the occlusion but her condition still worsened, so the dentist referred her to the chief author of this paper. We provided combined treatment together with a psychiatrist from the first examination, providing both reasoning and medical treatment in the form of supportive psychotherapy and checking of occlusion at the department of dental prosthesis. Her sense of malocclusion gradually receded and her condition improved.
