Odontogenic Pain

What is odontogenic pain?

  •  Odontogenic pain, also commonly known as tooth pain, or a “toothache”, originates from dental structures, pulpal or periodontal [1]. In comparison, non-odontogenic pain can arise from any anatomical structure (ear, nose, and throat; neuralgic pain) of the orofacial region. An estimated 95% of cases of orofacial pain stem from dental causes (i.e., toothache caused by pulpitis or a dental abscess) [2].

 What causes a toothache?

  • If the pain is dental related, its due to the nerve in the root of the tooth or surrounding tooth becoming irritated.

  • Dental infection, tooth decay, injury, or loss of a tooth are the most common causes of dental pain.

  • There are other issues that can cause tooth pain that are non dental related with the most common being TMJ.

  • If you are interested in a more comprehensive write up of very common reasons for your dental pain, please check out our pages on cracked teeth and traumatic dental injuries.

 References:

  1. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/65918

  2. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prm/si/545186/