Special considerations in orofacial pain

Abstract

A pathologic dental condition is by far the most common cause of orofacial pain. There are, however, certain patients who possess and exhibit myriad signs and symptoms that mimic pathologic dental conditions but do not have a dental cause. These patients pose a diagnostic dilemma for the dental practitioner. Unfortunately, there are many documented cases of misdiagnosis and mismanagement in patients with deafferentiation pain, neuropathic pain, trigeminal neuralgia, and temporal arteritis. These orofacial pain disorders warrant special consideration for the dental practitioner and are reviewed in this article.