[Pain in edentulous patients]

Abstract

In daily social life, orofacial pain is strongly associated with teeth. However, edentulousness is no lifetime guarantee of being pain-free in the orofacial region. Common oral pains in edentulous people are caused by denture misfits or occlusal errors, by alveolar ridge atrophy, by (sharp) exostoses, and by non-denture-related mucosal lesions. Less common or hard to diagnose pains are caused by burning mouth syndrome, toxic or allergic reactions, nerve injuries, mucosal or skin grafts, and ischaemic heart disease.