J Orofac Pain
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Comparative Study
Increased pain sensitivity to intraoral capsaicin in patients with atypical odontalgia.
To use 2 well-characterized stimuli, the intraoral capsaicin model and the "nociceptive-specific" electrode, to compare superficial nociceptive function between patients with atypical odontalgia (AO) and matched healthy controls. Furthermore, the authors aimed to describe the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPV) of the techniques if group differences could be established. ⋯ AO patients show increased sensitivity to intraoral capsaicin but normal sensitivity to "nociceptive-specific" electrical stimulation of the face in an area proximal to the painful site. The use of the intraoral pain-provocation test with capsaicin as a possible adjunct to the diagnostic workup is hampered by the only moderately good sensitivity and specificity.
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To describe patients' daily coping with the pain of chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD), the conservative treatment received, and the self-care strategies used, and to examine the relationships between these strategies and daily pain intensity, activity interference, and jaw use limitations. ⋯ TMD clinic patients use a variety of treatment, self-care, and coping strategies to contend with daily pain. Inquiring about a broad range of strategies might help clinicians better understand how individual patients approach pain management. Research is needed to examine whether decreasing activity reduction and emotional support coping results in improved outcomes.
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To estimate the prevalence and pattern of self-reported orofacial pain symptoms and treatment-seeking behavior in adult Cantonese-speaking Chinese people in Hong Kong. ⋯ Orofacial pain symptoms appear to affect more than a quarter of the adult population in Hong Kong, and prevalence estimates were consistent with those in Western countries. A substantial proportion of the pain symptoms were frequent and of moderate to severe intensity, with the potential for significant morbidity. Professional treatment seeking was very low and may be related to specific pain behaviors and effective coping strategies in this ethnic group.
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To evaluate the risk of self-reported temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain among adolescents in relation to previous head and/or neck injury. ⋯ The results suggest a modest association of prior head injuries with both self-reported and clinically diagnosed TMD pain in adolescents.
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To investigate the degree and duration of neuronal hyperexcitability due to local inflammatory trauma after surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar. ⋯ These results indicate that even a minor surgical procedure in the orofacial region may be sufficient to evoke hyperexcitability in an area adjacent to the surgical wound for up to 30 days. The decreased adaptive capacity in the patient group also suggests the involvement of central pain-regulatory mechanisms in response to the surgical trauma.