Impact of migraine and fibromyalgia on temporomandibular disorder: A retrospective study on pain, psychological factors and quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the impact of migraine and fibromyalgia (FM) in TMD patients, focusing on pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL). Additionally, we investigated how these variables relate to the total number of comorbidities to gain insights into their interactions. METHODS: A retrospective data collection was conducted during January 2016 to December 2022, involving 409 adult TMD patients. TMD patients were categorised into four groups: those without comorbidity (TMD-only) and those with comorbid migraine and/or fibromyalgia (TMD + MG, TMD + FM and TMD + MG + FM). Quantitative variables were compared among them. Linear regression was used to analyse the associations between these variables. RESULTS: Most of study population were women (79%) with a mean age of 44.43 years. TMD + MG patients reported longer pain duration, higher pain scores and greater pain interference compared with TMD-only patients. Similarly, TMD + FM patients had higher pain intensity than patients with TMD only. Both the TMD + MG and TMD + FM groups had higher levels of anxiety, depression, and health impairment compared with patients with TMD only. Patients with all three pain conditions (TMD + MG + FM) experienced the longest pain duration, highest pain intensity, psychological distress, and impaired QoL. The result showed positive associations between pain outcomes, psychological measures, pain's impact on QoL, and the number of comorbidities and a negative association between overall health states and the number of comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of considering the presence of comorbidities and addressing physical and psychological aspects in the management of TMD patients.

Sleep disturbances are associated with pain intensity and pain-related functional interference in patients experiencing orofacial pain.

BACKGROUND: Sleep and pain have a reciprocal relationship, interacting with psychosocial aspects including depression, anxiety, somatization and significant stressful events. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess patients with oro-facial pain (OFP) and related sleep disturbances and determine the strongest psychosocial correlates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of anonymized data of consecutive patients with OFP {January 2019 and February 2020} were analysed. Diagnostic and Axis-II data were integrated to assess the relationship between sleep disturbances, measured using Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory, and demographic factors, clinical comorbidities, recent stressful events, pain severity and pain- and psychological-related function. RESULTS: Five out of six patients with OFP were presented with pain-related sleep disturbances. Sleep problems were enhanced in patients with primary oro-facial headache compared with other OFP conditions. However, once the level of pain intensity and interference was accounted for, primary headache, was not a significant correlate of pain-related sleep disturbances. Multivariate analysis revealed (average) pain severity and pain interference were both significantly associated with sleep problems. There were also significant independent associations of sleep problems with somatization levels and reported experience of recent stressful events. CONCLUSION: Identifying sleep problems as a part of OFP management may be beneficial and could result in better management outcomes.

A systematic review of treatment for patients with burning mouth syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic idiopathic intractable intraoral dysaesthesia that remains a challenge to clinicians due to its poorly understood pathogenesis and inconsistent response to various treatments. AIM: This review aimed to study the short- (≤3 months) and long-term (>3 months) effectiveness and sustainable benefit of different burning mouth syndrome treatment strategies and the associated side effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomised controlled trials of burning mouth syndrome treatment compared with placebo or other interventions with a minimum follow up of 2 months were searched from the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane database (published to July 2020). RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and analysed. Nine categories of burning mouth syndrome treatment were identified: Anticonvulsant and antidepressant agents, phytomedicine and alpha lipoic acid supplements, low-level laser therapy, saliva substitute, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and cognitive behaviour therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy, topical capsaicin and clonazepam, and laser therapy demonstrated favourable outcome in both short- and long-term assessment. Phytomedicines reported a short-term benefit in pain score reduction. The pooled effect of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) pain score improvement was low, but its positive effects increased in long term assessment. CONCLUSION: A more significant volume in terms of sample size, multi-centres, and multi-arm comparison of therapeutic agents with placebo and longitudinal follow-up studies is recommended to establish a standardised burning mouth syndrome treatment protocol. Further studies are required to assess the analgesic benefits of topical clonazepam and capsaicin, alternative medicines with neurodegenerative prevention capability and psychology support in treating burning mouth syndrome and reducing systemic adverse drug reactions.Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO):Protocol ID - CRD42020160892.

Catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and acceptance in patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about pain catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and chronic pain acceptance in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and their effect on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders. OBJECTIVES: To describe pain catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and pain acceptance in BMS patients and explore associations with affective function and HRQoL. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 36 BMS patients (31 female) referred to an Orofacial Pain Clinic completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8 in addition to standardised self-reported questionnaires measuring mood and oral and generic HRQoL. RESULTS: Pain catastrophising levels were markedly higher than (non-clinical) population norms, with 32.0% of patients reporting clinically relevant levels. Pain self-efficacy and chronic pain acceptance varied widely; 24.0% evidenced low confidence to cope with pain, and 53.8% reported low activity engagement and/or low pain willingness. Catastrophising showed moderate-to-strong associations with measures of anxiety (r = 0.63), depression (r = 0.80), and oral (r = 0.61) and generic HRQoL (rho=-0.84). Self-efficacy and acceptance were also closely related to levels of depression (r/rho=-0.83 to -0.73) and generic HRQoL (r/rho = 0.74 to 0.75). These associations were stronger than those between pain severity and affective function/HRQoL and persisted after controlling for pain severity. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of BMS patients evidence maladaptive beliefs about personal effectiveness in managing pain, which is closely related to affective disorders and impaired HRQoL. As such, treatment approaches targeting catastrophising, pain self-efficacy and acceptance may prove beneficial in improving mood and quality of life in BMS patients.

Developing a research diagnostic criteria for burning mouth syndrome: Results from an international Delphi process.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a beta version of a preliminary set of empirically derived research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for burning mouth syndrome (BMS) through expert consensus, which can then be taken into a test period before publication of a final RDC/BMS. DESIGN: A 6 round Delphi process with twelve experts in the field of BMS was used. The first round formed a focus group during which the purpose of the RDC and the definition of BMS was agreed upon, as well as the structure and contents. The remaining rounds were carried out virtually via email to achieve a consensus of the beta version of the RDC/BMS. RESULTS: The definition of BMS was agreed to be 'an intraoral burning or dysaesthetic sensation, recurring daily for more than 2 hours per day over more than 3 months, without evident causative lesions on clinical examination and investigation'. The RDC was based upon the already developed and validated RDC/TMD and formed three main parts: patient self-report; examination; and psychosocial self-report. A fourth additional part was also developed listing aspirational biomarkers which could be used as part of the BMS diagnosis where available, or to inform future research. CONCLUSION: This Delphi process has created a beta version of an RDC for use with BMS. This will allow future clinical research within BMS to be carried out to a higher standard, ensuring only patients with true BMS are included. Further validation studies will be required alongside refinement of the RDC as trialling progresses.

Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy: correlation between objective and subjective assessments and a prediction model for neurosensory recovery.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy (PTN) can have a substantial effect on patient well-being. However, the relation between the neuropathic symptoms and their effect on psychosocial functioning remains a matter of debate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between objective and subjective assessments of neurosensory function in PTN and predict neurosensory outcome using baseline measurements. METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study included patients diagnosed with PTN at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium, between April 2018 and May 2020. Standardized objective and subjective neurosensory examinations were recorded simultaneously on multiple occasions during the follow-up period. Correlation analyses and principal component analysis were conducted, and a prediction model of neurosensory recovery was developed. RESULTS: Quality of life correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with percentage of affected dermatome (ρ = - 0.35), the presence of brush stroke allodynia (ρ = - 0.24), gain-of-function sensory phenotype (ρ = - 0.41), Medical Research Council Scale (ρ = 0.36), and Sunderland classification (ρ = - 0.21). Quality of life was not significantly correlated (P > 0.05) with directional discrimination, stimulus localization, two-point discrimination, or sensory loss-of-function. The prediction model showed a negative predictive value for neurosensory recovery after 6 months of 87%. CONCLUSIONS: We found a strong correlation of subjective well-being with the presence of brush stroke allodynia, thermal and/or mechanical hyperesthesia, and the size of the neuropathic area. These results suggest that positive symptoms dominate the effect on affect. In patients reporting poor subjective well-being in the absence of positive symptoms or a large neuropathic area, additional attention towards psychosocial triggers might enhance treatment outcome. The prediction model could contribute to establishing realistic expectations about the likelihood of neurosensory recovery but remains to be validated in future studies.

Regional cerebral blood flow as predictor of response to occipital nerve block in cluster headache.

BACKGROUND: Cluster headache is an excruciating disorder with no cure. Greater occipital nerve blockades can transiently suppress attacks in approximately 50% of patients, however, its mechanism of action remains uncertain, and there are no reliable predictors of treatment response. To address this, we investigated the effect of occipital nerve blockade on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), an index of brain activity, and differences between treatment responders and non-responders. Finally, we compared baseline perfusion maps from patients to a matched group of healthy controls. METHODS: 21 male, treatment-naive patients were recruited while in a cluster headache bout. During a pain-free phase between headaches, patients underwent pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelled MRI assessments to provide quantitative indices of rCBF. MRIs were performed prior to and 7-to-21 days following treatment. Patients also recorded the frequency of their headache attacks in a daily paper diary. Neuropsychological assessment including anxiety, depression and quality of life measures was performed in a first, scanning free session for each patient. RESULTS: Following treatment, patients demonstrated relative rCBF reductions in posterior temporal gyrus, cerebellum and caudate, and rCBF increases in occipital cortex. Responders demonstrated relative rCBF increases, compared to non-responders, in medial prefrontal cortex and lateral occipital cortex at baseline, but relative reductions in cingulate and middle temporal cortices. rCBF was increased in patients compared to healthy controls in cerebellum and hippocampus, but reduced in orbitofrontal cortex, insula and middle temporal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: We provide new mechanistic insights regarding the aetiology of cluster headache, the mechanisms of action of occipital nerve blockades and potential predictors of treatment response. Future investigation should determine whether observed effects are reproducible and extend to other headache disorders.

Migraine presenting as isolated facial pain: A prospective clinical analysis of 58 cases.

BACKGROUND: Sparse evidence has detailed the clinical phenotype of migraine presenting as isolated facial pain.Objective and methods: This was a prospective audit, part of our multidisciplinary facial pain service evaluation, aiming to phenotype patients with migraine presenting as isolated facial pain who attended our service between 2013 and 2018. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed with migraine with isolated facial pain (F = 46, 79.3%; mean age: 49.0 years, ± 9.85). Sixty-six percent of patients met the criteria for episodic migraine. The pain was strictly unilateral in 79% and located over the maxillary region in 85% of patients. Associated cranial autonomic signs/symptoms were reported by 45% of our cohort. A percentage of 77% of patients was triptan responders. CONCLUSIONS: Migraine presenting as isolated facial pain is a rare but treatable condition with some distinct demographic and clinical characteristics. It is a diagnosis of exclusion that should be evaluated in specialised multidisciplinary facial pain clinics.

Tooth-Related Pain or Not?

Dental pain is the most common acute pain presenting in the orofacial region; however, chronic pain conditions are also frequent and include; temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs), primary headaches (neurovascular pain), painful post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy (PPTTN) and less commonly referred pain and idiopathic or centralized pain conditions. All of these conditions can mimic toothache and vice versa. Many of these conditions are comorbid with high levels of tension headache and migraine reported in patients with TMD; however, dentists remain unfamiliar with headaches and medics unfamiliar with toothache's multiple presentations. The anatomical complexity of the region, the potential exhaustive differential diagnoses and the multiple siloed training of specialties, leads to incorrect and delayed diagnosis and often results in patients undergoing inappropriate surgical and medical treatments. The continued inappropriate interventions may also complicate the later presentation of the patient with pain, by changing its phenotype, preventing a timely and correct diagnosis. Due to the variable presentation of toothache, which can mimic many different chronic pains including; episodic throbbing pain of migraine, the dull continuous pain of myofascial and arthrogenous TMDs or centralized facial pain, diagnosis can be complex. Neuralgic pain occurs in the dentition in health and with disease, mimicking conditions like PPTTN, trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs), many patients are inappropriately diagnosed and treated, either by general medical practitioners assuming that the neuralgia is due to TN rather than more commonly presenting toothache or by a dentists or other surgeons continuing to treat TN or TACs with routine surgical care. Many patients are prescribed countless courses of antibiotics and undergo multiple surgical interventions simply as a result of poor education due to siloed specialty training. This must be addressed to improve patient safety.

The differential impact of neuropathic, musculoskeletal and neurovascular orofacial pain on psychosocial function.

BACKGROUND: While the psychosocial morbidity of orofacial pain (OFP) is widely recognized, the differential impact of musculoskeletal, neuropathic and neurovascular symptoms on pain and psychosocial function in individuals with and without coexisting OFP conditions is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study of 350 consecutive patients attending an OFP clinic; 244 completed standardized self-report measures of pain experience, mood, and generic and oral health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The impact of musculoskeletal, neuropathic and neurovascular symptoms on measures was assessed using linear and logistic generalized linear models. RESULTS: Two hundred patients were diagnosed with a neuropathic condition: 125 with musculoskeletal pain and 101 with (neurovascular) headache disorders. 23% of patients presented with multiple OFP conditions; this was more common in patients with neurovascular (62%) than neuropathic (21%) and/or musculoskeletal orofacial symptoms (28%). Patients with neurovascular symptoms experienced significantly higher levels of pain, evidenced less pain self-efficacy and had poorer overall health. Neuropathic OFP was significantly associated with greater psychological and social oral health disability. Multiple OFP symptoms were not linked to pain severity or psychosocial function, although health scores were worse for patients with neurovascular pain and neuropathic/musculoskeletal symptoms compared with patients with only neurovascular symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The profile and degree of psychosocial morbidity in patients with OFP is significantly related to the types of presenting orofacial symptoms. Patients with neurovascular pain present with higher pain levels and have poorer health while those with neuropathic pain have higher oral functional morbidity; both may require more complex multidisciplinary management.

Surgical techniques for the removal of mandibular wisdom teeth.

BACKGROUND: Pathology relating to mandibular wisdom teeth is a frequent presentation to oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and surgical removal of mandibular wisdom teeth is a common operation. The indications for surgical removal of these teeth are alleviation of local pain, swelling and trismus, and also the prevention of spread of infection that may occasionally threaten life. Surgery is commonly associated with short-term postoperative pain, swelling and trismus. Less frequently, infection, dry socket (alveolar osteitis) and trigeminal nerve injuries may occur. This review focuses on the optimal methods in order to improve patient experience and minimise postoperative morbidity. OBJECTIVES: To compare the relative benefits and risks of different techniques for surgical removal of mandibular wisdom teeth. SEARCH METHODS: Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the following databases: Cochrane Oral Health Trials Register (to 8 July 2019), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (the Cochrane Library; 2019, Issue 6), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 8 July 2019), and Embase Ovid (1980 to 8 July 2019). We searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for ongoing trials. We placed no restrictions on the language or date of publication. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing different surgical techniques for the removal of mandibular wisdom teeth. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three review authors were involved in assessing the relevance of identified studies, evaluated the risk of bias in included studies and extracted data. We used risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous data in parallel-group trials (or Peto odds ratios if the event rate was low), odds ratios (ORs) for dichotomous data in cross-over or split-mouth studies, and mean differences (MDs) for continuous data. We took into account the pairing of the split-mouth studies in our analyses, and combined parallel-group and split-mouth studies using the generic inverse-variance method. We used the fixed-effect model for three studies or fewer, and random-effects model for more than three studies. MAIN RESULTS: We included 62 trials with 4643 participants. Several of the trials excluded individuals who were not in excellent health. We assessed 33 of the studies (53%) as being at high risk of bias and 29 as unclear. We report results for our primary outcomes below. Comparisons of different suturing techniques and of drain versus no drain did not report any of our primary outcomes. No studies provided useable data for any of our primary outcomes in relation to coronectomy. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether envelope or triangular flap designs led to more alveolar osteitis (OR 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09 to 1.23; 5 studies; low-certainty evidence), wound infection (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.04 to 2.06; 2 studies; low-certainty evidence), or permanent altered tongue sensation (Peto OR 4.48, 95% CI 0.07 to 286.49; 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). In terms of other adverse effects, two studies reported wound dehiscence at up to 30 days after surgery, but found no difference in risk between interventions. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether the use of a lingual retractor affected the risk of permanent altered sensation compared to not using one (Peto OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.00 to 6.82; 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). None of our other primary outcomes were reported by studies included in this comparison. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether lingual split with chisel is better than a surgical hand-piece for bone removal in terms of wound infection (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.31 to 3.21; 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). Alveolar osteitis, permanent altered sensation, and other adverse effects were not reported. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether there is any difference in alveolar osteitis according to irrigation method (mechanical versus manual: RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01 to 8.09; 1 study) or irrigation volume (high versus low; RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.27 to 1.02; 1 study), or whether there is any difference in postoperative infection according to irrigation method (mechanical versus manual: RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.05 to 5.43; 1 study) or irrigation volume (low versus high; RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.02 to 1.37; 1 study) (all very low-certainty evidence). These studies did not report permanent altered sensation and adverse effects. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether primary or secondary wound closure led to more alveolar osteitis (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.41 to 2.40; 3 studies; low-certainty evidence), wound infection (RR 4.77, 95% CI 0.24 to 96.34; 1 study; very low-certainty evidence), or adverse effects (bleeding) (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.11 to 1.47; 1 study; very low-certainty evidence). These studies did not report permanent sensation changes. Placing platelet rich plasma (PRP) or platelet rich fibrin (PRF) in sockets may reduce the incidence of alveolar osteitis (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.67; 2 studies), but the evidence is of low certainty. Our other primary outcomes were not reported. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: In this 2020 update, we added 27 new studies to the original 35 in the 2014 review. Unfortunately, even with the addition of these studies, we have been unable to draw many meaningful conclusions. The small number of trials evaluating each comparison and reporting our primary outcomes, along with methodological biases in the included trials, means that the body of evidence for each of the nine comparisons evaluated is of low or very low certainty. Participant populations in the trials may not be representative of the general population, or even the population undergoing third molar surgery. Many trials excluded individuals who were not in good health, and several excluded those with active infection or who had deep impactions of their third molars. Consequently, we are unable to make firm recommendations to surgeons to inform their techniques for removal of mandibular third molars. The evidence is uncertain, though we note that there is some limited evidence that placing PRP or PRF in sockets may reduce the incidence of dry socket. The evidence provided in this review may be used as a guide for surgeons when selecting and refining their surgical techniques. Ongoing studies may allow us to provide more definitive conclusions in the future.

Signs and symptoms, quality of life and psychosocial data in 1331 post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy patients seen in two tertiary referral centres in two countries.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy (PTN) is a disturbance of function or pathological change of the trigeminal nerve branches following trauma and has an important impact on patient's quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVES: To provide diagnostic data on PTN and illustrate differences in aetiology, injured nerve, pain distribution, sensory profile and QoL between PTN subgroups. METHODS: 1331 patients with painful or non-painful PTN were retrospectively reviewed in two centres, extracting demographic data, time and cause of trauma, clinical findings including signs and symptoms, basic neurosensory testing, imaging modalities, treatments, and QoL or psychosocial assessment. RESULTS: More females were represented (70%) than males. The inferior alveolar nerve was most frequently damaged (60%) followed by the lingual nerve (28%). Wisdom teeth removal was considered the main cause (48%). Pain was reported in 63% of patients and pain frequency increased with age without clinically significant gender differences. Numbness was reported in 50% of PTN patients. Neurosensory testing showed larger affected dermatome involvement in persistent injuries, with no differences between the non-painful and painful PTN groups. Patient clustering indicated different sensory profile distributions when stratified according to aetiology or affected nerve branch. High interference with lifestyle was reported (78%), and patients suffering from painful PTN had worse QoL and psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSION: Patients with painful PTN had different clinical profiles and lower QoL scores than those with non-painful PTN. Sensory profiles may provide important prognostic and therapeutic information; however, more research is needed to assess the clustering procedure and link these clusters to therapeutic guidelines.

Prevalence of neuropathic pain and sensory alterations after dental implant placement in a university-based oral surgery department: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and the clinical features of patients with neuropathic pain and sensory alterations after dental implant placement. BACKGROUND: Literature is very scarce concerning the prevalence of neuropathic pain after dental implant placement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was made in patients submitted to dental implant placement in the Dental Hospital of the University of Barcelona. A descriptive analysis of the data was made, and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for the prevalences. RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 1156 subjects of whom, 1012 patients (3743 dental implants) met the study inclusion criteria. Four hundred and seventeen patients (41.2%) were male and 595 (58.8%) were female, with a mean age of 60.7 years (range 16-90 years). Three patients were diagnosed as having painful post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy (PPTN), which corresponds to a prevalence of 0.3% (95% CI: 0%-0.6%). Additionally, 5 patients (0.5%; 95% CI: 0%-1.07%) presented trigeminal neuropathy without pain (TNWP). The combined prevalence of both disorders was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.02%-1.3%). All patients with PPTN and TNWP were 60 years old or older, with a total combined prevalence of 1.48% (95% CI: 0.46%-2.5%) in this age group. Additionally, the prevalence in this age group for women was 1.85% (95%CI: 0.38%-3.31%). CONCLUSIONS: Neuropathic pain after dental implant placement is very infrequent (0.3%) in a University Oral Surgery department. However, the presence of trigeminal neuropathies can be slightly higher and can affect up to 0.5% of patients. Older female patients seem to be more prone to this rare and disabling complication.

A Survey of the Opinion and Experience of UK Dentists: Part 2: Risk Assessment Strategies and the Management of Iatrogenic Trigeminal Nerve Injuries Related to Dental Implant Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Dental implant-related iatrogenic injuries are proportionally increasing with dental implant surgery. This study assessed the experience of implant-related trigeminal nerve (TG) injuries among UK dentists. Risk management strategies and management of implant-related inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), mental nerve (MN), and lingual nerve injuries were investigated. METHODS: A survey was distributed among 405 dentists attending an Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) congress, of which 187 completed the survey. RESULTS: Most dentists (76% of 134 responses) allowed a 2 to 4 mm safety zone radiologically above the IAN when placing implants, and over half of the responders (56%) used implants that were 10 mm in length. The most frequent precautionary measure used by 73 (80%) responders was antibiotic coverage routinely to reduce the risk of infection when placing grafts in the posterior mandible. Other precautionary measures included unilateral staging of implant placement (57%), and 43% always identified the MN when placing implants. Nineteen dentists used steroids (eg, dexamethasone) routinely preoperatively and postoperatively. Twenty-six dentists used basic cone-beam CT (CBCT) minimally invasive techniques, and drill stops during implant placement were used by 14 responders. Although it is not highly recommended, steroids were used to manage the neuropathic pain and discomfort experienced by patients with IAN injuries in 40% of cases. CONCLUSION: Further training of dentists undertaking implant surgery is required so that they acquire up-to-date and evidence-based knowledge and skills in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of dental implant-related TG injuries. This training should also involve the justification and interpretation of CBCTs.

A Survey of the Opinion and Experience of UK Dentists Part 3: An Evidence-Based Protocol of Surgical Risk Management Strategies in the Mandible.

BACKGROUND: Implant surgery in the mandible can cause serious complications that can be life threatening. The incidence and cause of iatrogenic trigeminal nerve injury (TNI) related to dental implant surgery was investigated in a survey of the opinion and experience of the UK dentists and reported by the authors in part 1 of this series of articles. Part 2 reported on the risk assessment and management of implant-related inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), mental nerve (MN), and lingual nerve (LN) injuries. This article evaluates the significance of these findings and recommends an evidence-based protocol of risk management strategies to reduce the risk of TNI related to dental implant surgery. METHODS: A survey was distributed among 405 dentists attending an Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) congress, of which 187 completed the survey. RESULTS: In this study, the strategies to manage the risk of TNI included unilateral staging of implant placement (57%) and identification the MN when placing implants (43%). Twelve percent used drill stops when operating in the mandible. Nineteen dentists used steroids (eg, dexamethasone) routinely preoperatively and postoperatively. Twenty-six dentists used basic cone beam computed tomography minimally invasive techniques, and 70% encountered a large anterior loop of the IAN. Most dentists (76%) allowed a 2- to 4-mm safety zone radiologically above the IAN when placing implants, and over half of the responders (56%) used implants that were 10 mm in length. CONCLUSION: Given the elective nature of implant surgery, TNI should be fully avoidable. The evidence suggest that TNI can be minimized with meticulous attention to accurate assessment and surgical planning as well as carrying out the surgery with a high degree of precision. In part 3 of their series of articles, the authors presented an evidence-based protocol that comprises preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk management strategies for dental implant surgical procedures in the mandible.

A Survey of the Opinion and Experience of UK Dentists: Part 1: The Incidence and Cause of Iatrogenic Trigeminal Nerve Injuries Related to Dental Implant Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Dental implant-related iatrogenic trigeminal nerve (TG) injuries are proportionally increasing with dental implant surgery. This study, which is presented in greater detail over a series of articles, assessed the experience of implant-related TG nerve injuries among UK dentists. Incidence and cause of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), mental nerve (MN), and lingual nerve (LN) injuries, together with preoperative assessment and the consent process, are presented in this article. METHODS: A survey was distributed among 405 dentists attending an Association of Dental Implantology congress in the United Kingdom, of which 187 completed the survey. RESULTS: Most responding dentists were full-time general practitioners. Implant dentistry training was predominately through industry-organized courses. Eighty dentists encountered implant-related IAN injuries, whereas 8 encountered LN injuries. Inaccurate radiological identification of the IAN/MN and their anatomical variations (48%) were seen to be the most frequent cause of TG injuries. Disclosure of the relative risk and benefits of alternative implant treatment strategies as part of the informed consent process was not deemed to be essential by 47 (25%) of the participants. CONCLUSION: Inadequate radiological assessment was the most common cause of TG nerve injury. The use of small field of view cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) is therefore recommended when placing implants in the posterior mandible. Implant surgeons should acquire evidence-based skills in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of TG nerve injury as well as specific training on justification and interpretation of CBCT scans.

Pain Part 8: Burning Mouth Syndrome.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a rare but impactful condition affecting mainly post-menopausal women resulting in constant pain and significant difficulty with eating, drinking and daily function. The aetiology of BMS remains an enigma. Recent evidence suggests it likely to be neuropathic in origin, the cause of which remains unknown. There is no cure for this condition and the unfortunate patients remain managed on a variety of neuropathic pain medication, salivary substitutes and other non-medical interventions that help the patient 'get through the day'. Some simple strategies can assist both clinician and patient to manage this debilitating condition. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The dental team will recognize patients presenting with burning mouth syndrome. They are difficult patients to manage and are often referred to secondary care and, ultimately, depend on their general medical practitioners for pain management.

Pain. Part 10: Headaches.

This last in a series of 10 papers aims to provide the dental and medical teams with an update in headache conditions relevant to dentistry and medicine. Headache is the most common presenting symptom for patients presenting to A&E departments. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Most of the dental team take for granted their knowledge and ability to manage acute dental pain. However, the education and preparation in managing patients with headache conditions remains poor. Dentists are in a privileged position to be able to advise their patients about common conditions including headaches.

Pain Part 9: Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias.

The trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias are a group of rare, highly disabling, primary headache syndromes distinctly characterized by the unilaterality of their attacks and presence of cranial autonomic symptoms. Although pain is often localized to the peri-orbital and temporal regions, it is not uncommon for pain to radiate to tooth-bearing areas and mimic toothache or jaw pain. Hence, dental practitioners should be aware of these syndromes to enable appropriate referral and avoid unnecessary, and often irreversible, dental treatments. Many dentists will not have heard of these conditions but must remain vigilant, and ensure that they are not confused with trigeminal neuralgia, so that their patients are appropriately advised and referred. Clinical relevance: The dental practitioners may be the first line of healthcare providers consulted by these patients in the hope of obtaining pain relief. Lack of familiarity with an uncommon condition may lead to poor patient management.

Relevance of Bisphosphonate Therapy in Osteoporosis and Cancer--No Cause for Alarm in Dentistry.

This report provides important background information on osteoporosis (OP) and bone complications of cancer for the dental team, and discusses why bisphosphonate (BP) therapy is vital for patients with the two conditions. It also addresses several questions, including in particular: 'Is withholding BP therapy the best way to prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) occurrence?' Also,'Of the two, which is more important: ONJ or OP fracture prevention?' CPD/Clinical Relevance: BP therapy offers OP patients the promise of a fracture-free life and the prevention of fracture-related pain, disability, loss of qualify of life (QOL) and the shortening of life. Without BP therapy, the lifetime risk of fracture occurrence in OP patients is as high as 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men; whilst using it, the relative risk of ONJ occurrence is as low as between 1 in 10, 000 and 1 in 100, 000. To cancer patients with bone complications, it offers the much needed pain relief and improvement in QOL. In cancer patients, the risk of ONJ is almost 100 times higher but, despite that, oncologists advocate BP therapy for virtually all the patients. Therefore, when prescribed, BP therapy merits the whole-hearted support of the dental team.