title: Refractory craniofacial pain: is there a role of periodontal disease as a comorbidity?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of the periodontal disease (PD), a chronic infection, in patients with chronic craniofacial pain complaints.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with chronic craniofacial pain and PD (CFP group) and 20 patients with PD (PD group) were assessed before and after periodontal treatment (baseline, 30 and 180 days after treatment). The parameters evaluated were: plaque index, bleeding index, clinical probe insertion, Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) for pain intensity and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) for the 'chief complaint'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 180 days PD was controlled in both groups (p<0.001); the VAS decreased in CFP group (p<0.001); 'chief complaint' improved (p=0.005 and p=0.027, respectively in CFP and PD group). VRS showed improvement between the groups in 30 (p=0.004) and 180 days (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest a possible influence of periodontal disease, as a comorbidity, in refractory craniofacial pain patients and in their pain levels.
authors.affiliation: Dentistry Division and Experimental Physiopathology Program, Hospital das Clínicas, Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gisele Maria Campos
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fabri
authors.forename: Silvia R D T
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Caio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simione
authors.forename: Cibele
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nasri
authors.forename: Manoel Jacobsen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: José Tadeu Tesseroli
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Siqueira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D010512:Periodontal Index