Search

When a patient complains of orofacial pain, health care providers must make a correct diagnosis. Doing this can be difficult, since various signs and symptoms may not be specific for 1 particular problem or disorder. One initially should formulate a broad differential diagnosis that can be narrowed after analysis of the history and examination. In this article, orofacial pain is categorized as being caused by: intracranial pain, headaches, neuropathic pain, intraoral pain, temporomandibular disorder, cervical pain, pain related to anatomically associated structures, referred pain, or mental illness., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) has been at the forefront of formal evidence-based dentistry with such projects as the Parameters of Care: Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the AAOMS Outcomes Assessment Program, the AAOMS Third Molar Clinical Trial, and the AAOMS "White Paper on Third Molar Data." This article reviews these evidence-based resources to provide a consensus of opinion for the management of the third molar.

Dental caries and periodontal disease are the most common afflictions of the tooth. These infectious diseases cause considerable pain and discomfort and ultimately loss of the tooth. Apart from local effects, these infections may extend beyond natural barriers and result in complications that can vary in severity from the excruciating pain of acute pulpitis to life-threatening infections of the deep fascial spaces of the head and neck. In this article, the clinical and pathologic features of dental caries, pulpitis, periapical abscess, pericoronitis, and periodontal infections are discussed as well as prevention and treatment of infections involving the tooth, with emphasis on endocarditis prophylaxis.