title: Pain from Dental Implant Placement, Inflammatory Pulpitis Pain, and Neuropathic Pain Present Different Somatosensory Profiles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To address the two following questions: (1) What kind of somatosensory abnormalities may be characterized in patients receiving dental implants (IMP), in ongoing inflammatory dental pulpitis (IP) patients, and in neuropathic pain (atypical odontalgia [AO]) patients? and (2) What sort of sensory and neural changes may result from dental implant placement surgery and pulpectomy?
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 subjects were divided into three groups: the IMP (n = 20), IP (n = 20), and AO groups (n = 20). Quantitative sensory testing (QST) was performed preoperatively (baseline) for all three groups and postoperatively at 1 month and 3 months after dental implant placement or pulpectomy (in the IMP group and IP group, respectively). Statistical analyses were completed with one-way and two-way analysis of variance and z score transformations (α = 5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main findings of this study indicated that: (1) Elevations in mechanical detection threshold (MDT) and in current perception threshold (CPT) related to C-fiber activation, indicating a loss of function, were found at baseline in IP patients; (2) Somatosensory abnormalities such as allodynia, reduced MDT and mechanical pain threshold (MPT), and impaired pain modulation were found in AO patients; (3) No somatosensory alterations after implant placement were found in the IMP group; and (4) Somatosensory alterations in the form of reduction in the CPT related to C-fiber activation were reported 3 months after pulpectomy in the IP group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that somatosensory abnormalities were evident in AO and IP patients, and somatosensory alterations were seen in IP patients even 3 months after pulpectomy. However, no somatosensory alterations were seen after implant placement.
authors.forename: André Luís
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Porporatti
authors.forename: Leonardo Rigoldi
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bonjardim
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stuginski-Barbosa
authors.forename: Estevam Augusto
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bonfante
authors.forename: Yuri Martins
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Paulo César
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues Conti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants