• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.80-84
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• 2016

Non-odontogenic toothaches are frequently present and can be challenge to the dental clinician. A 41-year-old male patient with sharp and spontaneous pain on the right maxillary posterior dentition, which developed as like localized toothache 3 months ago, was finally treated with endoscope assisted sinus surgery on right maxillary sinus. Although the initial clinical characteristics are similar to odontogenic toothache in this patient, previous several treatment with the affected teeth did not alleviate the pain. Sinusitis around the facial structure is one of the common causes to make referred pain to maximally teeth and the sinus toothache resembles the pulpal or the periodontal toothache. The clinician should be well aware of various causes of the non-odontogenic toothache and be able to differentiate them.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.174-178
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• 2019

A fungal ball (FB) of the paranasal sinuses is a chronic, non-invasive fungal sinusitis defined as the accumulation of dense aggregation of fungal hyphae in a sinus cavity. A patient with FB infection in a sinus cavity has usually non-specific symptoms such as post-nasal drip, nasal congestion, headache. However, facial pain and toothache can be developed if FB infection is in maxillary sinus. The aim of this case report is to present two cases of FB of the maxillary sinus which caused toothache in the upper molar region. It is also to make dental practitioners consider the non-odontogenic origins of toothache and to pay special attention to avoid unnecessary dental treatment.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.367-374
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• 2024

Toothaches are the main reason patients seek dental care, but not all pain in the orofacial region originates from the teeth. Some toothaches may stem from musculoskeletal, neuropathic, or neurovascular issues. Additionally, certain toothaches may not be tooth-related, but rather, referred from nearby orofacial structures, where the site and source of pain differ. In referred pain, the pain typically travels to the site from an ipsilateral source in the orofacial region. However, when the site and source of pain are on different parts of the body, but the pain is referred in a predictable manner, it is termed mirror-image pain. This case report illustrates mirror-image pain originating in the right mandibular tooth, referred from the contralateral superficial masseter muscle. A comprehensive history, thorough head and neck evaluation, an understanding of anatomy, and the utilization of diagnostic trigger-point injections were instrumental in reaching the correct diagnosis and the management of this non-odontogenic toothache, thus avoiding unnecessary dental interventions for managing the pain site.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.92-96
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• 2018

A 39-year-old male presented with severe pain in right posterior mandibular teeth and temporal area. Initially, the pain in the mandibular teeth was moderate, but the concomitant headache was unbearably severe. His medical history was non-contributory. The clinical and radiographic examination failed to reveal any pathology in the region. There was no tenderness to palpation in the temporalis and masseter muscles or temporomandibular joints. The clinical impression was migraine. The pain in the teeth and headache were aborted using ergotamine tartrate and sumatriptan succinate. Atenolol prevented further pain, while amitriptyline and imipramine had no effect. Migraine can present as non-odontogenic pain in the mandibular teeth, although not as frequently as in the maxillary teeth. A correct diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary dental treatments and to manage pain effectively. Clinicians should be able to identify migraine with non-odontogenic dental pain and establish a proper diagnosis through a comprehensive evaluation.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.26.1-26.10
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• 2022

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a condition with immune-mediated pathogenesis that can present oral manifestations. This report describes the case of a patient diagnosed with WG 14 years previously, who was affected by persistent pain of non-odontogenic origin after successful endodontic treatment. A 39-year-old woman with WG was diagnosed with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis of teeth #31, #32, and #41, after evaluation through a clinical examination and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). At the first appointment, these teeth were subjected to conventional endodontic treatment. At 6- and 12-month follow-up visits, the patient complained of persistent pain associated with the endodontically treated teeth (mainly in tooth #31), despite complete remission of the periapical lesions shown by radiographic and CBCT exams proving the effectiveness of the endodontic treatments, thus indicating a probable diagnostic of persistent pain of non-odontogenic nature. After the surgical procedure was performed to curette the lesion and section 3 mm of the apical third of tooth #31, the histopathological analysis suggested that the painful condition was likely associated with the patient's systemic condition. Based on clinical, radiographic, and histopathological findings, this unusual case report suggests that WG may be related to non-odontogenic persistent pain after successful endodontic treatments.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.144-147
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• 2022

Chronic maxillary sinusitis is a common disease, with symptoms of dull, aching pain or pressure below the eyes and signs such as tenderness over the involved sinus, whereas trigeminal neuralgia is described as severe, paroxysmal, and lancinating brief pain limited in distributions of one or more divisions of trigeminal nerve. In cases where these two non-odontogenic toothache symptoms overlaps, the diagnostic process can be confusing. Here, we report a case of a 54-year-old male patient with chief complaints of intermittent, severe, and electric-like pain in the upper left premolar and first molar area, initially diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia but finally with maxillary sinusitis after pain recurrence 2 years after that. Therefore, thorough history taking and precise imaging interpretation should be considered to make correct diagnose especially in case of a patient with newly developed or altered or atypical symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2014

Herpes zoster (HZ) is an acute, unilateral inflammatory viral infection characterized by a rash with painful blisters in a localized area of the body. HZ is often associated with intense pain in the acute phase and presents postherpetic neuralgia in the chronic phase. During the prodromal stage of the HZ from the trigeminal nerve, however, the only presenting symptom may be odontalgia, which could be particularly difficult to diagnose. This distinctive syndrome occurs predominantly in the immunocompromised or elderly individuals. In this article, we report a case of HZ developed in the trigeminal nerve of a 60-year-old immunocompromised female patient, whose symptoms including atypical, non-odontogenic odontalgia had improved after series of antiviral treatments.