Keith David A
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Visiting Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
J Pain Res. 2025 Aug 24;18:4275-4284. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S533032. eCollection 2025.
Jawbone cavities have had a long history in dentistry and for many years they have been described and studied under several different pseudonyms. These cavities are thought to be responsible for a wide range of disease processes and symptoms, including orofacial neuralgia. In this article the existence of jawbone cavities, and their role in the etiology of orofacial pain will be critically examined. The validity and significance of these cavities has been questioned in the literature and found to lack sufficient scientific validation, posing potential harm to patients. Treatments based on this diagnosis have been the subject of legal action brought by patients, by a Medical Insurance Company, which has claimed insurance fraud and by several professional organizations. Ethical, regulatory and financial issues have also been raised. Evidence based diagnostic criteria and clinical trials are needed to determine the scientific validity of this concept. Pain in the mouth and face is best diagnosed using current evidence based diagnostic criteria.
颌骨空洞在牙科领域有着悠久的历史，多年来它们一直以几种不同的别名被描述和研究。这些空洞被认为与多种疾病过程和症状有关，包括口面部神经痛。在本文中，将对颌骨空洞的存在及其在口面部疼痛病因学中的作用进行批判性审视。这些空洞的有效性和重要性在文献中受到质疑，并且被发现缺乏充分的科学验证，这对患者构成了潜在危害。基于这种诊断的治疗方法已成为患者、一家声称存在保险欺诈的医疗保险公司以及几个专业组织提起法律诉讼的对象。同时也引发了伦理、监管和财务问题。需要基于证据的诊断标准和临床试验来确定这一概念的科学有效性。口腔和面部疼痛最好使用当前基于证据的诊断标准进行诊断。
