Orofacial pain: diagnosis and treatment
Manusov, E.G.; Johnson, R.
American Family Physician 45(2): 773-782
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-838X PMID: 1739060 Document Number: 390144
Orofacial pain can have an inflammatory, neurologic or musculoskeletal cause. Inflammatory diseases include dental abscess, sinusitis, temporal arteritis, sialolithiasis and infections of the parotid gland. Common neurologic diseases that cause facial pain are trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, paratrigeminal neuralgia and cluster headaches. Musculoskeletal causes include temporomandibular joint syndrome and myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome. A clear understanding of pertinent anatomy and an organized approach to diagnosis will facilitate the evaluation of patients with orofacial pain.