Occlusal Disorders

Today¿s health care professional is faced with the stark reality that the most common reason patients seek medical or dental care is due to pain or dysfunction. Recent studies reveal that the head and neck region is the most common site of the human body to be involved in a chronic pain condition. The orofacial region is plagued by a number of acute, chronic and recurrent painful maladies. Pain involving the teeth and the periodontium is the most common presenting concern in dental practice. Non-odontogenic pain conditions also occur frequently. Recent scienti¿c investigation has provided an explosion of knowledge regarding pain mechanisms and pathways and an enhanced understanding of the complexities of the many rami¿cations of the total pain experience. Therefore, it is mandatory for the dental professional to develop the necessary clinical and scienti¿c expertise on which he/she may base diagnostic and management approaches.