Diagnosis of PSAF maladjustment is the first step toward biopsychosocial dentistry

Abstract

Relevance. The article considers three stages in the development of dentistry specialty in Russia: 1) the stage of dental treatment; 2) the stage of biomedical dentistry; 3) the stage of biopsychosocial dentistry. The beginning of the second stage – biomedical dentistry – is associated with Professor A.K. Limberg, the organizer of the first odontology department at the Women's Medical Institute in Russia in 1897. L. Engel, who wrote about the biopsychosocial approach in the journal Science (1977), was the forerunner of biopsychosomatic dentistry.The concepts of psychosocial-anatomic-functional (PSAF) maladjustment syndrome and the primary express diagnosis method of its severity and structure, developed at the First Saint-Petersburg State Medical University, facilitated the introduction of a biopsychosocial approach into dentistry. The authors regard the PSAF maladjustment diagnosis as the biopsychosocial approach first step to the study of the human health status that will help individually approach comprehensive customized treatment and rehabilitation program planning.Propose. To show diagnosis possibilities of PSAF maladjustment primary express diagnosis in order to introduce the biopsychosocial standpoint into the diagnosis and treatment of dental patients.Conclusion. The earliest possible beginning of teaching dental students (first-year students) the skill of PSAF maladjustment express diagnosis has proven to be necessary.The article presents four clinical cases of PSAF maladjustment express diagnosis application at a dental appointment among patients of different profiles.