Topic: Migraine and Dentistry/Orofacial Pain

Host: Mia Minen, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAHS [@MiaMinenMD]

Guest: Marcela Romero-Reyes, DDS, PhD

Description: To visit the dentist or not to visit the dentist? This question is often debated by patients with migraine who experience orofacial pain, or facial pain involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), mouth, head or neck. Whether or not a patient has been diagnosed with migraine, it can be difficult to determine if orofacial pain needs attention from a dentist or orofacial pain specialist. This is why it’s important for primary care providers to learn about the connection between dental pain, orofacial pain and migraine. What type of doctor should someone with orofacial pain see? How do you distinguish orofacial pain from migraine? What is involved in the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) for patients who also have migraine? We dive into these questions and more with Marcela Romero-Reyes, DDS, PhD, a dentist, certified orofacial pain specialist and director of the Brotman Facial Pain Clinic at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

[01:31] What is the difference between dental and orofacial pain, and what type of doctor should be seen for each? 

[03:21] How do you distinguish orofacial pain from migraine?

[06:28] What have studies shown about the relationship between “TMJ” and migraine? Is “TMJ” the correct term to use?

[11:19] What is involved in the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) for patients who also have migraine?

[14:36] How can migraine differ from mid-facial pain?

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