Chair-side intraoral somatosensory examination in patients with atypical odontalgia and healthy subjects

• Chair-side intraoral somatosensory examination in patients with atypical odontalgia and healthy subjects L Baad-Hansen, M Pigg, S Elmasry Ivanovic, H Faris, T List, M Drangsholt, P Svensson Aim of investigation: In patients with persistent orofacial pain, assessment of somatosensory function is recommended. A chair-side qualitative examination with good reliability revealing signs of hyper-/hyposensitivity to touch, cold and painful pinprick stimulation may be performed. The aim of this multicenter study was to compare three qualitative measures of intraoral somatosensory function between patients with atypical odontalgia (AO) and healthy subjects. Methods: 31 AO patients (6 male, 25 female; mean age: 54±13) and 47 healthy age- and sex-matched controls (15 male, 32 female: mean age: 47±12) were recruited from Malmö University (Sweden), University of Washington (USA) and Aarhus University (Denmark). In AO patients, sensitivity to touch, cold, and pinprick stimuli was evaluated on the buccal gingiva adjacent to the painful site and the corresponding contralateral ‘mirror-image’ gingival site. In healthy subjects, tests were performed bilaterally on the buccal gingiva adjacent to the first maxillary premolars. Patients were asked to report hyper-, hypo-, or normo-sensitivity/- algesia to touch, cold and painful stimuli on the painful site compared with the contralateral site; healthy subjects were asked to compare sensitivity between sides. Χ2-tests were used to analyze differences in frequency of hyper-, hyposensitivity or normosensitivity between groups. Results: The frequency of subjectively reported normosensitivity to all stimulus modalities were significantly lower in patients (23-58%) than in healthy subjects (68-91%), P<0.001. Frequency of hypersensitivity to all modalities were significantly higher in patients (29-61%) than in controls (9-17%), P<0.015, whereas reports of hyposensitivity were similar between groups (2-16%), P>0.054. Conclusion: A quick and simple chair-side evaluation of intraoral somatosensory function can detect intraoral sensory disturbances in AO patients, mainly in the form of hyper-sensitivity. These tests may be useful in the initial screening of patients with persistent orofacial pain.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Odontologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Dentistry (hsv//eng)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)