Facial sensory loss--a need for suspicion.

Three patients with facial sensory loss were referred by their general dental practitioners. In the absence of local or systemic factors to account for such symptoms, the dental surgeon should be alert to the possibility of sinister underlying pathology, possibly remote from the jaws. Even in the face of negative special tests, patients should be thoroughly investigated and referred accordingly. Following referral, an exhaustive search should be undertaken for possible causes, particularly for the possibility of metastatic disease.