“…Also in the orofacial area, recent studies have indicated that glial mechanisms contribute to acute and chronic orofacial pain by influencing central sensitization processes in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) 6,7,11,12,25,39,40,42,57,61–63 . These studies also suggest that activation of MAPKs in glial cells is essential in central mechanisms of orofacial pain 15,17,25,30,55,61,64 . In the current study, we tested whether the placement of an occlusal interference induces neuroplastic changes reflecting central sensitization of Vc nociceptive neurons, and whether glial activation and changes in MAPK signaling pathways accompany the trigeminal central sensitization and associated facial hypersensitivity.…”