What can imaging techniques tell us about orofacial pain?

Orofacial pain is a major challenge for the clinician treating the patients and the researchers studying the basic mechanisms of pain. The reason for this is mainly due to an interaction between the complex neurophysiology of orofacial pain and the special psychological importance of the trigeminal region. In this article, we will review briefly the basic peripheral and central mechanisms of pain which is necessary in order to appreciate the crucial role of the brain for the perception of pain, including orofacial pain. We will then introduce the brain imaging technique termed positron emission tomography (PET) and discuss the current and possible future role of PET in advancing our basic understanding of pain and its management in the clinical setting.