SP-2 - The Role of Extraosseous Lesions in Orofacial Pain: Newly Discovered Extensions of Odontogenic Lesions Cause Pain That Mimics Non-odontogenic Pain - Presented in 2D and 3D

This presentation will demonstrate the role of extraosseous lesions (EOLs) in orofacial pain. Micro-photography will reveal intricate features that cannot be viewed using current radiography. Preliminary research has found EOLs are biofilm habitats and vehicles to extend from one tooth or implant to other teeth, implants, and/or adjacent anatomical sites and structures. Once two or more sites are established and interconnected, EOLs act as complex infections, capable of further proliferation and regeneration if only partially removed. Although the developmental process is usually asymptomatic, idiopathic pain is the most common eventual presentation.

Cases will be presented using 2D and 3D micro-photography that show EOLs are important parts of advanced infection processes and persist after appropriate endodontic treatment, extraction, or implant placement. They can proliferate inside alveolar mucosa and maxillary sinuses, and around neurovascular bundles, and cause various types of pain that are misdiagnosed as “non-odontogenic”. These cases will demonstrate how accurate diagnosis and treatment can result in complete resolution of both the infection and its associated pain, and long-term retention of the involved teeth and implants.