Characteristics of patients with chronic idiopathic orofacial pain. A retrospective study.

Chronic orofacial pain without obvious pathologic findings is not uncommon and is a diagnostic problem. It is uncertain whether this type of pain is different from other chronic idiopathic pain conditions. Fifty-five patients referred to the Facial Pain Diagnostic Group at The Karolinska Institute, School of Dentistry at Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, were investigated retrospectively. There were 49 women and 6 men, ranging in age from 30 to 81 years, all with orofacial pain of more than 6 months' duration, which the patients considered to be of dental or paradental origin. Despite dental treatment aimed to relieve the pain, no permanent relief was observed. The results suggest that chronic idiopathic orofacial pain resembles other chronic idiopathic pain, and adequate diagnosis and treatment require not only dental but also medical competence.