Abstract
Purpose: In response to the public's heightened awareness of the existence of non-odontogenic toothache, the number of patients who consult an orofacial pain (OFP) specialty clinic with unexplained intra-oral pain may be increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with unexplained intra-oral pain.
Methods: The subjects were 95 individuals with intra-oral pain who consulted the OFP clinic of Keio University Hospital, Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, from January 2012 to December 2012. We performed a retrospective review of the following clinical characteristics of the candidates: the male-to-female ratio, age distribution, location of the chief ion of the chief complaints, pathological diagnosis, and the method and effectiveness of the treatment.
Results: The study candidates included 19 males and 76 females. The age distribution ranged from the 30s to the 60s, with approximately the same frequency. The main pathological diagnoses were myofascial pain (MFP) (48%) and neuropathic pain (NP) (26%), which accounted for approximately 80% of all cases. Odontogenic lesion represented 8% of cases. Moreover, MFP coexisted with NP in one-third of NP cases. The main treatment methods for MFP were cognitive behavior therapy and physical therapy, while the main treatment method for NP was medication therapy. The symptoms tended to improve in about 70% of cases.
Conclusions: Based on the medical treatment of unexplained intra-oral pain patients in an OFP specialty clinic, we conclude that a pathological diagnosis, including the differential diagnosis of non-odontogenic pain, is important.
