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The painful tooth: mechanisms, presentation and differential diagnosis of odontogenic pain
Author(s) -
Allison J. R.,
Stone S. J.,
Pigg M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
oral surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.156
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 1752-248X
pISSN - 1752-2471
DOI - 10.1111/ors.12481
Subject(s) - toothache , medicine , odontogenic , presentation (obstetrics) , differential diagnosis , complaint , narrative review , dentistry , relevance (law) , referred pain , orofacial pain , orthodontics , physical therapy , intensive care medicine , pathology , surgery , political science , law
Pain arising for the teeth and supporting structures is a very common complaint, affecting around 9% of adults in the UK, and it can sometimes be difficult to determine the exact cause. In this narrative review, we explore the underlying neurophysiology of odontogenic pain and describe the relevance of this to clinical practise. We discuss characteristic features of pain arising from the various dentoalveolar structures and common oral disorders, and consider that non‐odontogenic pain may occasionally present as toothache. As well as describing current approaches to reaching a reliable diagnosis, we also discuss some innovative techniques and potential future developments in this area.