title: Diagnostic challenges of neuropathic tooth pain.
abstract: This article presents the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of 2 neuropathic conditions: trigeminal neuralgia and atypical odontalgia. A case report highlights the complexities involved in diagnosing neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is chronic, diverse in quality, difficult to localize and it occurs in the absence of obvious pathology. To avoid multiple, ineffective dental treatments, general practitioners must be familiar with the signs of nonodontogenic sources of tooth pain.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. mmatwychuk@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Matwychuk
mesh_terms: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019233:Retreatment; D012390:Root Canal Therapy; D014098:Toothache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D002220:Carbamazepine