Orofacial pain

Orofacial pain is pain felt in the mouth, jaws, face and related structures, arising from dental, muscular, joint or nerve sources.

The category is broad. It includes toothache and gum disease, temporomandibular disorders affecting the jaw joint and chewing muscles, trigeminal neuralgia with its brief electric shocks, burning mouth syndrome, and headaches that refer pain to the face. Pain may be constant or triggered by chewing, talking, cold or touch. Because several structures share nerve supply, the felt location does not always match the source.

Assessment involves a dental and medical history, examination of the teeth, jaw movement, muscles and nerves, and imaging when a joint or dental cause is suspected. Dentists, oral medicine specialists and neurologists may all be involved. Cannabinoids have been the subject of preliminary research in dental and jaw pain settings, and the evidence is limited.