Non-odontogenic toothache revisited

Although pain of dental origin is the most common orofacial pain, other non-odontogenic pains can affect the orofacial region and occasionally mimic dental pain. These non-odontogenic pains may pose a diagnostic dilemma for the dental practitioner who routinely diagnoses and treats dental pain. Knowledge of the various non-odontogenic pains will ultimately prevent misdiagnosis and the delivery of incorrect and sometimes irreversible and invasive procedures to patients. The purpose of this article is to review the clinical presentations of the various types of non-odontogenic pains which may be mistaken as dental pain: myofascial, cardiac, sinus, neurovascular, neuropathic, neoplastic and psychogenic pain.