Nonodontogenic toothache

Abstract

Toothache is one of the most common discomforts experienced by patients in dental clinic. If clinical and radiographic examinations do not reveal any pathologic findings, we can suspect nonodontogenic toothache. Nonodontogenic toothache can be caused by a variety of causes such as muscle disorders, sinus and nasal mucosal problems, neuropathic pain, neurovascular pain, psychogenic problems, and cardiogenic disease. A thorough history and clinical examination should be performed to confirm the cause of the pain, and more accurate diagnosis can be established through local anesthetic injection. If the nonodontogenic toothache is misdiagnosed, unnecessary dental treatment such as root canal treatment, periodontal treatment, and extraction can be performed, and the patient's pain is not alleviated through such treatment. Therefore, the cause of toothache must be diagnosed correctly before dental treatment is performed, and clinicians should be fully aware of the diseases that may cause these symptoms.