PAIN may seem like a simple concept as we all have experienced it. However, it’s a topic that the more you know, the less you know!

It’s complex! We used to think the pain can’t cross the midline, but we now know it can in certain situations. Pain chemicals released from one site are attracted to other sites that have already have pain. Wonderful! And why?

However, there are types of pain, that really are a real pain for diagnosis and treatment.

Pain is a four letter in dentistry. We are not teeth treaters but we treat people. We are also called dental surgeons for a reason. Our training, and education, involves an understanding of anatomy of most of the body including the brain and its neuroanatomy. The bio-chemical interactions in the body have a bearing on our surgical treatments and how the body reacts to it.

Dentistry contains oral medicine, as the everything is connected. The mouth often is an early warning barometer of health issues. It is important to we are trained in recognizing general medical issues such as diabetes, asthma, heart problems, anaphylaxis, medication interactions and so. Occasionally, medical emergencies arise, and need to be recognized.

There are three sources of pain

1. Nociceptive Pain – local inflammation and chemicals released that regulate the initiation of pain (bradykinin and enhance by prostaglandins).
2. Peripheral Neuropathic pain – PAIN DISORDER – where peripheral nerves (outside the brain) sending sensory information to the brain, are damaged usually by Diabetes and Herpes Zoster (Chicken pox).
3. Psychogenic pain – PAIN DISORDER IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (brain and spine) associated with psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and post traumatic disorder. There is no physical cause and pain killers are ineffective.