The Journal of the American Dental Association
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Referred pain is prevalent in the craniofacial region, and it would be helpful for dental practitioners to have drawings delineating regions with a high probability for a patient's referred pain source. ⋯ Practitioners should consider craniofacial pain's propensity for referral when treating patients with TMD. Practitioners can use the figures presented to determine regions of high probability for a patient's referred pain source.
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This is a prospective study of patients referred to a tertiary care center with permanent alteration in sensation of the inferior alveolar nerves, lingual nerves or both that could have resulted only from an inferior alveolar nerve block. ⋯ Permanent nerve damage can very occasionally occur as a result of an inferior alveolar nerve block. The exact mechanism is unknown, and there is no means of prevention. Knowledge of the risks and complications of local anesthesia is essential.
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The authors discuss the local pharmacotherapy for chronic orofacial neuropathic pain disorders such as neuropathies, neuromas and neuralgias. ⋯ Practicing dentists now have some new tools they can use to help manage patients who have a chronic nerve pain disorder in and around the mouth.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Usefulness of posture training for patients with temporomandibular disorders.
Many practitioners have found that posture training has a positive impact on temporomandibular, or TMD, symptoms. The authors conducted a study to evaluate its effectiveness. ⋯ Patients with TMD who hold their heads farther forward relative to the shoulders have a high probability of experiencing symptom improvement as a result of posture training and being provided with selfmanagement instructions.
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The authors conducted a study to determine whether there are differences in salient clinical characteristics between patients who have both myofascial face pain, or MFP, and comorbid fibromyalgia, or FM, and patients who have MFP but not FM. ⋯ Patients who have MFP and a history of widespread pain suggestive of FM are likely to have more persistent and debilitating MFP and to have higher rates of depression and somatization symptoms than those who have no history of widespread pain.