Abstract
Although the number of patients with psychosomatic disorders in the oral cavity has increased steadily during recent years, no definite therapeutic method has been established. In this study, we prescribed Etizolam (Depas®), a thienodiazepine derivative, to patients with neurotic halitosis and glossodynia, both of which are psychosomatic disorders of the oral cavity, in order to test the efficacy of the drug. Etizolam was prescribed to 20 patients with neurotic halitosis with the aims of decreasing tension arising from interpersonal contact and increasing sociability by improving autonomic nervous system functioning. The present drug was effective in more than 80% of the cases. The same drug was prescribed to 20 cases with glossodynia with the aim of increasing the pain threshold and suppressing intrapunitive tendencies; it showed effectiveness in more than 85% of the cases. As can be seen by the above results, Etizolam was found to be highly effective in patients with oral cavity psychosomatic disorders.
