Neuropathic pain after dental treatment

Abstract

Summary
The head and neck region is the most common site of the human body to be involved in a chronic pain condition. Neuropathic pain is one of those and refers to all pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction or transitory perturbation in the peripheral or central nervous system (CNS). Trigeminal neuralgia, atypical odontalgia (phantom tooth pain), burning mouth syndrome, traumatic neuropathies, postherpetic neuralgias and complex regional pain syndrome are the neuropathic pain conditions in orofacial region can be encountered in pain and dental clinics. Most of the time this problem misdiagnosed by the dentist causing unnecessary treatments including endodontic treatment and extraction of the tooth or teeth in the region. In this review, only post-traumatic peripheral painful neuropathies seen after dental treatments will be discussed.