The Medical clinics of North America
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Patients will often visit their primary medical practitioner with orofacial pain complaints. Hence, it is important to recognize and have an understanding of these conditions to properly evaluate and potentially manage these disorders. If the practitioner is uncertain or uncomfortable with these conditions, then patient referral to a knowledgeable health care practitioner should be considered for further evaluation and management. In this article, the evaluation and management of various neuropathic, neurovascular, and vascular pains are discussed.
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Temporomandibular disorders remain a common cause of visits to primary care physicians, internists, pediatricians, and emergency departments. Advances in the clinical diagnosis, radiographic imaging, and classification of these disorders have improved long-term management. ⋯ Host susceptibility plays a role at several stages of these disorders. Future research offers greater possibility in defining this heterogeneous group of disorders and providing more focused and effective treatment strategies.