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Pain part 10: headaches

From Volume 43, Issue 5, June 2016 | Pages 448-460

Authors

M S Chong

BSc(Hons), MBBS, MD FRCP

Consultant Neurologist, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery London, Cleveland Street, London

Articles by M S Chong

Tara Renton

BDS, MDSc, PhD

Professor of Oral Surgery, King's College London; Honorary Consultant in Oral Surgery, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London

Articles by Tara Renton

Abstract

This last in a series of 10 papers aims to provide the dental and medical teams with an update in headache conditions relevant to dentistry and medicine. Headache is the most common presenting symptom for patients presenting to A&E departments.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Most of the dental team take for granted their knowledge and ability to manage acute dental pain. However, the education and preparation in managing patients with headache conditions remains poor. Dentists are in a privileged position to be able to advise their patients about common conditions including headaches.

Article

Headache is a common symptom with numerous aetiologies (Table 1). It is estimated that one in every five consultations with a neurologist is because of headache. Globally, it is estimated that 46% of the worldwide population have an active headache disorder. The World Health Organization has ranked headache as one of the top 10 most disabling disorders for both genders.1

As these conditions are so common and will often be a co-presenting factor in dental patients presenting with orofacial pain, it is important for dentists to be able to identify the three main groups of common headaches (migraine, cluster and tension headaches) (Figure 1). Dentists can also play an important role in identifying possible sinister headaches and appropriately refer their patients for urgent care. Table 2 offers a summary for differentiating between these different headaches.

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