Non-dental Tooth Pain Treatment

Atypical Odontalgia is also known as phantom tooth pain.

What is Atypical Odontalgia?

It is a neuropathic pain condition that is often mistakenly attributed to dental pathology and can be difficult to diagnose.

In fact, many patients are treated unnecessarily with root canal (endodontic) therapy or extraction of otherwise healthy teeth, following which symptoms persist.

Intraoral symptoms are characterized by chronic pain in a tooth or teeth, or in a site where teeth have been extracted or following endodontic treatment, without an identifiable cause

What conditions can mimic Atypical Odontalgia?

Various conditions that can mimic dental pain need to ruled out to confirm the diagnosis of Atypical Odontalgia. Some of these conditions include

• Odontogenic pain- pulpal or periodontal
• Cracked tooth syndrome
• Maxillary Sinusitis
• Myofascial pain
• Temporomandibular joint disorders
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Tumors of the head
• Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgia
• Toothache of neuritic origin
• Somatoform disorders

How is Atypical Odontalgia treated?

Comprehensive evaluation to rule out any odontogenic and other causes that mimic tooth pain is required.

Imaging, diagnostic blocks, qualitative and quantitative somatosensory testing form a significant component of the workup of a patient suspected with atypical facial pain.

Atypical Odontalgia may be controlled by drugs that calm the oversensitive nerves.

Given the association with a history of psychological issues, non-pharmacologic strategies such as behavior modification, biofeedback, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy may also be considered.