479 - Dental Rehabilitation and Rumination Syndrome: A Case Study

Rumination syndrome is the repeated non-purposeful, effortless regurgitation of stomach contents after recently ingesting food. The material is either then rechewed and swallowed or expectorated. Until recently, the syndrome’s prevalence has gone widely underappreciated, often being misdiagnosed as gastroesophageal reflux disease or bulimia nervosa. Counter to widespread opinion, rumination syndrome is not exclusive to those with cognitive disabilities or children but can afflict patients of any age and health status. Little research has been conducted on the long-term effects of rumination syndrome on the dentition and dental restorative material. Restoring and maintaining the health of the oral cavity poses a challenge when treating patients with this condition, especially when rumination syndrome is a component of a patient’s complex medical history. In this case report, the dental rehabilitation, and its obstacles, of a patient in his early twenties with rumination syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and severe protein calorie malnutrition is examined.


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