An investigation on the distribution pattern of referred odontogenic pain from posterior teeth in the different head and neck areas

An investigation on the distribution pattern of referred odontogenic pain from posterior teeth in the different head and neck areas Dr. S. Khedmat* - Dr. MJ. Kharazifard** *- Assistant Professor of Endodontics Dept. – Faculty of Dentistry – Tehran University of Medical Sciences. **- Research Consultant, – Faculty of Dentistry – Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Background and Aim: Toothache similar to other deep pains such as muscle pain is not only perceived at the painful tooth but is usually referred to other head and neck areas. In other words, localization of the pain source is difficult. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution pattern of the referred odontogenic pain from posterior teeth in different head and neck areas.Materials and Methods: In this cross – sectional study, 410 subjects with posterior toothache were recruited randomly from patients referred to the faculty of dentistry, department of diagnosis, surgery and endodontics. After clinical and radiographic examination, painful tooth and reported reference areas were determined. Data were subjected to SPSS software and the results were analyzed. Results: The most reported sites of pain referral were adjacent teeth and ear and the least sites were neck and posterior of head. Referral tooth pain distributed vertically with horizontal overlap. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that referred odontogenic pain generally follows a vertical distribution with an :::union::: skin or lamination pattern in different head and neck tissues. Key words: Odontogenic pain – Referred pain – Deep pain