An Essential Guide to Body Dysmorphic Disorder for Dental Practitioners

Some patients will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to fix a smile that was never actually broken.

In this episode of The Dental Practitioner, ADA NSW Advisory Services’ Dr Roger Dennett and Dr Vicki Rozos sit down with psychiatrist Professor Vlasios Brakoulias, an internationally recognised expert in obsessive-compulsive and body dysmorphic disorders, to unpack what body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is, and what it means for dental practice.

Professor Brakoulias explains the difference between a belief and a fact, why insight is so often poor in BDD, and why cosmetic or restorative treatment so rarely brings lasting relief. He also walks through the red flags to watch for, where AHPRA’s informed consent guidelines leave dentists exposed, and, critically, suggestions on what to say to a patient when you suspect something more is going on.

For any dentist who’s ever had that nagging feeling that a cosmetic request doesn’t add up, this episode offers a practical, compassionate framework for navigating one of dentistry’s trickiest grey areas.

Topics covered: body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, informed consent, AHPRA guidelines, non-surgical cosmetic treatment, red flags, screening tools, referral, capacity to consent, suicide risk, and duty of care.

Interviewer(s): Dr Roger Dennet, Dr Vicki Rozos
Interviewee(s): Professor Vlasios Brakoulias
Related Course/Event/Links: NSW Dentist magazine

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