title: Prolonged gingival cold allodynia: a novel finding in patients with atypical odontalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine atypical odontalgia (AO) patients with extraoral quantitative sensory testing (EQST) and an intraoral mucosal cold test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one subjects with AO and 18 control subjects underwent EQST for electrical and thermal pain and detection thresholds. Cold was applied to painful mucosal areas in AO patients and randomly in control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Electrical pain thresholds were higher in AO patients than in control subjects in the same dermatome affected by the pain (P = .03), but no significant differences were observed in electrical detection thresholds and heat pain and detection thresholds at other sites. Cold application was painful in control and AO subjects, but duration of pain sensation was significantly longer in AO patients (P = .019 in contralateral side; P = .029 in affected side).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding of extended painful aftersensation following cold application in AO patients supports the involvement of central mechanisms. The cold test is clinically easy to apply and of clinically significant value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Sciences, New Jersey Dental School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Julyana G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zagury
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eliav
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Heir
authors.forename: Cybele
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nasri-Heir
authors.forename: Sowmya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ananthan
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pertes
authors.forename: Yair
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sharav
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benoliel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000503:physiopathology; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014098:Toothache / Q000503:physiopathology*