A multivariate study of patients with temporomandibular joint disorder, atypical facial pain, and dental pain.

The multifactorial nature of oral and facial pain was investigated by the collection of clinical and psychologic data from 312 patients with either dental pain, temporomandibular joint disorder, or atypical facial pain. Significant differences between the groups in gender and age distribution, muscle and joint pain, radiographic joint changes, number of remaining teeth, pain duration, and aspects of the patients' perception of pain were evident. In addition, discriminant function analysis clearly differentiated between the three groups on the basis of both clinical and psychologic variables, emphasizing the multifactorial nature of oral and facial pain.