Pharmacotherapy for Orofacial Pain

Abstract

The sensation of pain is the means by which the body is made urgently aware of the presence of tissue damage. Pain represents a protective reflex for self-preservation. It is often pain that brings the patient to the dental office but also can be the factor that keeps the patient from seeking treatment at the appropriate time. Pain control is of great importance in dental practice. The clinician has to know the financial neuroanatomy, peripheral and central nervous system pathways, pain modulating system and various categories of pain of the head, neck and and face. Psychological and psychosocial factors also contribute to pain, whether pain arises endogenously from pathologic processes or exogenously from trauma or even dental treatment. The dentist’s task is threefold: first, to establish the correct diagnosis, second to find the cause of the pain, and third to select the treatment plan that addresses the patient’s complaint. By knowing the classification of orofacial pain, the clinician will easily make a diagnosis and determine the cause of the pain. After establishing the physical diagnosis it is easy then to determine the therapy to be made. The treatment in managing dental pain from pharmacotherapy is still effective using analgesic and local anasthetic drug.