Orofacial pain

Orofacial pain is a general term covering any pain which is felt in the mouth, jaws and the face. Orofacial pain is a common symptom, and there are many causes. It is estimated that over 95% of cases of orofacial pain result from dental causes (i.e. pain related to the teeth, often toothache caused by pulpitis or a dental abscess). After dental pain, the second most common cause of orofacial pain is temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD, pain-dysfunction syndrome). All other causes of orofacial pain are rare in comparison, although the full differential diagnosis is extensive.

Classification
There are 4 main classifications which attempt to classify the causes of orofacial pain, but no system is universally accepted.


 * The International Classification of Headache Disorders second edition (ICHD-2), a publication by the International Headache Society.
 * The Classification of Chronic Pain second edition, a publication by the International Association for the Study of Pain.
 * American Academy of Orofacial Pain
 * The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (see temporomandibular joint dysfunction).