title: Heavy metals and pain in the dysfunctional patient.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this research is to verify the quality and quantity of heavy metals (HM) of dental origin in TMD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population of 100 subject was studied and divided in two homogeneous groups: Study Group (SG) and Control Group (CG). Organism heavy metals were tested by a spot sampling method in which the first urine of the day, through Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), were analyzed. The results obtained were compared with reference values (RV) of Italian people. Descriptive statistical analysis and student's t-test has been applied (statistical significance for p > 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SG presented the absolute highest levels of HM compared to the CG (p=0.787). As regards the relation between pain and HM, the subjects that refer "severe/very severe" values of pain present the highest levels of HM in urines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results seem to highlight a possible direct proportionality between the level of pain the increase of the concentration of heavy metals in all the examined groups and subgroups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serritella
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panti
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fedele
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manna
keywords: TMD; heavy metals; pain