A toothache of non-odontogenic origin is pain felt in a tooth with no clinical indication of pulpal or periodontal involvement. From the total dental visits with a chief complaint of a toothache, 3% are of a non-odontogenic origin and 9% are a mix of odontogenic and non-odontogenic origin (Yatani et al 2014).

Non-odontogenic toothaches may represent a wide variety of pain types: neuropathic pain such as trigeminal neuralgia, neurovascular conditions like migraine headaches, visceral pain such as sinusitis and/or a musculoskeletal pain such as myofascial pain. Case reports of headaches mimicking toothache have also been published. However, toothache of non-odontogenic origin may also be due to a more life threatening disease like cancer and/or a heart attack. Incorrect diagnosis of these conditions usually leads to unnecessary dental procedures: root canal therapy and/or dental extractions. The end result is a patient experiencing no change or an aggravation of the pre - existent toothache. In some cases, due to the extensive attempts to palliate the pain, the patient ends with complications including pain in a larger area.

At the end of this presentation, the attendee should be able to learn the main clinical features of a toothache of non-odontogenic origin, and how this pain can be mistaken as a true toothache. Clinical cases of mistaken toothache of odontogenic and nonodontogenic origin will be presented. Differential diagnoses for each case will be discussed. Treatment recommendations and the need of referral to other healthcare professionals will also be outlined.

Biography:
Hernández graduated from Dentistry at the University of Concepción, Chile (1992). She completed her TMD/Orofacial Pain Residency (2002), Masters in Medical Sciences (2003) and, Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree (2005) at the University of Alberta, Canada. She became a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain, (2004) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (2005) in which she is now a council member. She belongs to several other professional pain organizations. Currently, Dr. Hernández maintains a busy private practice; she is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Oral Medicine Graduate Program, University of Alberta.