[Atypical odontalgia].

In spite of its first description by the English surgeon JOHN HUNTER more than 200 years ago, atypical odontalgia (AO), or phantom tooth pain, is not universally known among dentists. AO is a persistent neuropathic pain which may be initiated after deafferentiation of trigeminal nerve fibers following root canal treatment, apicectomy, or tooth extraction. In the absence of pathological clinical or radiological findings, the diagnosis is made by exclusion. After a thorough patient education about the condition, pharmacological and psychological pain management is required. Invasive and irreversible treatment attempts are contraindicated.