Differential diagnosis of orofacial pain

No attempt has been made to deal with all of the various diseases that the dentist has to consider when diagnosing orofacial pain. One of the most important causes of facial pain--so-called temporomandibular joint or myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD) syndrome--has not been mentioned, yet it accounts for many of the patients attending facial pain clinics. There are several textbooks devoted to the MPD and the reader is referred to these for a full description of the condition. Whenever a patient presents for evaluation of orofacial pain the dentist must remember: (1) to take a detailed history of the characteristics of the pain; (2) to complete a full examination of not only the teeth and the oral cavity but also the face, head, and neck; (3) not to assume that the patient in his chair necessarily has a dental condition producing his pain; (4) that if he is unaware of the existence of certain diseases he will never diagnose them!; and (5) to have no hesitation in referring a patient for evaluation rather than perform irreversible dental procedures.