Facial Pain

Because of the broad and extensive training of oral & maxillofacial surgeons in the field of dentistry and medicine, the speciality is highly knowledgeable and skilled in the diagnosis of facial pain which can be the presentation of a vast range of pathological and psychological conditions.

The differential diagnoses of facial pain include common toothache and other dental causes, sinus disease, neuralgias such as trigeminal neuralgia and rare conditions including malignancy in the oral cavity, orpharynx, nasopharynx and skull base.

Pain due to temporomandibular joint disorders affect a significant proportion of the population at one time or other with various symptom patterns such as facial arthromyalgia, atypical facial pain, atypical odontalgia, oral dysaesthesia and 'phantom bite'.

The diagnosis can often be made by taking a careful history of the pain and a range of investigations are useful, including radiographs, CT and MR scans and ultrasound in addition to thorough clinical examination.

Management is sometimes carried out with other specialties including neurologists, neurosurgeons, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and consultants working in pain clinics.