Pain in the orofacial region. Part 1: an overview

Unfortunately, acute pain is an intrinsic part of providing dentistry, and the dental team take for granted their knowledge, ability and skill in managing conscious patients undergoing complex surgical procedures around the face and mouth. Very few health care practitioners manage conscious patients for such tricky and unpleasant procedures; most other surgical specialties subject their patients to general anaesthesia for routine surgeries, with the exception of ophthalmology.

However, the education and preparation in managing patients with chronic pain conditions remains poor in many dental schools. Medics are better educated and exposed to chronic pain training (neurology, psychiatry and psychology) during their undergraduate education, thus many dental clinical teams remain disadvantaged when diagnosing and managing orofacial pain.