title: Orofacial pain.
abstract: Orofacial pain is an area of considerable interest in aging. Orofacial nociceptive pain arises mainly from injury or disease afflicting the teeth or the supporting structures of the teeth (periodontium); however it may arise from other intraoral or nonintraoral structures. Because of the rich innervation of the orofacial complex, pain may be referred to remote sites. Neuropathic pains, such as trigeminal neuralgia and postherpetic neuralgia, result from nerve injury and are usually seen only in older adults. Establishment of the source and cause of the pain results in effective pain management.
authors.affiliation: Claude Denson Pepper Center for Research on Oral Health in Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Heft
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans