Anatomie clinique de la douleur trigéminale: synthèse et applications en odonto-stomatologie (II).

Compressive phenomena on the endocranial course of the trigeminal nerve (V) cause facial neuralgias of which neurosurgical care remains the final recourse. When infectious, inflammatory or tumoral phenomena engage the nerve endings of the fifth nerve into its facial part, and in particular with the dental plexuses superior (maxillary nerve V2) and inferior (mandibular nerve V3), the anatomical and clinical data incite to use widely all the armamentarium which we have at present to calm the enormous nociceptive potential of this nerve. Motor and sensory innervation is derived from the mandibular nerve, which may lead to a vicious circle between spasms and pain or may be responsible for a nociceptive trigeminal inhibition reflex. The oro-facial pain is not correlated, in a reliable way, with any gravity of the underlying disease process even if it can represent a severe alarm which always must be considered itself as a full urgency. The trigeminal nociception is a perpetual challenge in its clinical management on a daily basis. The dental and maxillofacial practices require an extensive knowledge of the descriptive and functional anatomy of this nerve to possess an essential and powerful diagnostic and therapeutic tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]