Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Loose teeth
• Red, swollen, tender gums
• Swollen face
• Unpleasant taste or ismell n the mouth
• Different types of pain in the face including:
  • aching
  • burning
  • easily triggered
  • in one spot only
  • jabbing
  • only on one side of the face
  • severe
  • shooting

Diagnostic tests include:

• Medical history review
• Physical examination
• Symptom review
• Imaging tests (CT scan, MRI scan, X-ray)

Common forms include:

• Dental pain (Pain associated with the teeth and gums)
• Nerve pain (Also called Neuralgia, pain associated with to conditions affecting the facial nerves)
• Temporomandibular pain (Pain associated with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and jaw muscles)
• Vascular pain (Pain occurring because the issues with blood vessels and blood flow)

Causes & contributing factors may include:

• Dental issues (Infection of the soft tissue creating a buildup of pus)
• Headaches (Ice pick, Cluster, Migraine)
• Injuries (Impact and cuts from accidents, falls, violence)
• Oral infection
• Sialadenitis (Swollen and infected salivary gland)
• Sinusitis (Inflamed sinuses)
• Scan abscess
• Shingles
• Temporomandibular Joints Disorders (TMJ: Pain from issues associated with the jaw joint and muscles)
• Toothache
• Trigeminal neuralgia (a.k.a. Tic Douloureux: chronic pain affecting the trigeminal nerve in the face)

• Nearly 10,000 – 15,000 new cases of facial pain are reported each year in the US.
• Facial pain is more common among people over the age of 50 years old.
• More often than not, the causes of facial pain are harmless.
• However if the pain suddenly occurs without any reason, medical attention should be sought.