Oro-Facial Pain
Oro-Facial Pain represents an important clinical pain issue affecting a large number of patients, from childhood to old age.
Oro-Facial Pain consists of a varied group of conditions ranging from simple tooth ache to jaw joint problems to classical neuralgias.
Patients with these condition will often have been treated by a spectrum of healthcare professionals, ranging from dentists, GP’s, ENT surgeons, psychologists, neurologists and surgeons with a different approach to history, examination, classification and treatment.
It is not unusual to see the same patient being sent from one specialist to another without communication between the healthcare providers. The results can be frustrating and disappointing for all the parties involved.
In this section of the website, the more ‘commonly encountered’ oro-facial pains such as Atypical Facial Pain, Atypical Odontalgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia and Burning Mouth Syndrome are covered (these reflect the oro-facial pains I tend to see most of on clinics in hospitals).
Useful Articles & Websites
American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP)
Trigeminal Neuralgia Association UK
Brain and Spine Foundation Online
A Brain & Spine Disorders Booklet – Face Pain
Austral Dent J 1998. Pain Description & Severity of Chronic Oro-Facial Pain Conditions
Dental Update 1999. Orofacial Pain
Lancet 1999. Neuropathic Pain – Aetiology, Symptoms, Mechanisms & Management
British Medical Journal 2000. ABC of Oral Health – Oro-facial Soreness and Pain
British Dental Journal 2001. Chronic idiopathic orofacial pain – I. What is the evidence base?
J Canadian Dent Assoc 2004. Diagnostic Challenges of Neuropathic Tooth Pain
British Dental Journal 2006. Oral Medicine, Update for the GDP – Oro-Facial Pain
Dent Clin N Am 2007. Central Mechanisms of Orofacial Pain
The Lancet (Neurology) 2006. Facial Pain – Clinical Differential Diagnosis
Cochrane Reviews 2007. Antidepressants for Neuropathic Pain (Review)
Dental Update 2007. Diagnosis & Management of Non-Dental Oro-Facial Pain.
British Dental Journal 2008. Unexplained Orofacial Pain – Is an early diagnosis possible?
British Association of Oral Surgeons 2008. “Diagnostic Dilemmas in Facial Pain”
NICE Guidelines – Neuropathic Pain (March 2010)
Pain 2011. Review. Orofacial Pain
J Can Dent Assoc 2012. Neuropathic Orofacial Pain Patients in Need of Dental Care
Orofacial Pain. A Guide to Medications & Management. 2012
Patient.co.uk 2012. Facial Pain
Brit J Anaesthesia 2013. Differential diagnosis of facial pain and guidelines for management
Dent Update 2013. Oral Medicine 9. Oro-Facial Pain
J Headache & Pain 2013. Effectiveness of Antidepressants for Treatment of Idiopathic Orofacial Pain
World Appl Sci J 2014. Orofacial Pain – An Update for General Dental Practioners
BDJ 2016. Referrals to a Facial Pain Service
BDJ 2017. Oral Surgery II. Part 5. Chronic Orofacial Pain
J Am Acad Physician Asst 2017. Evaluation & Management of Orofacial Pain
Acta Clin Croat 2019. Orofacial Pain – Diagnostic & Therapeutic Challenges