Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients in a tertiary orofacial pain clinic

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients in a tertiary orofacial pain clinic.
Methods: Medical files of 200 patients attending the Orofacial pain clinic at the department of Oral Medicine Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, between 2012-2014, were retrospectively analyzed. Collected data included: personal details, health and psychiatric background, history of trauma, days of absence from work and self assessed pain, sleep and quality of life on a VAS scale (11-point visual analog scale from 0 to 10).
Results: The mean age was 50.4, 59(29.5%) were males and 141 (70.5%) were females.
Diagnostic categories included: (1) Temporomandibular disorders (85;42.5%) ,(2) ,Headaches (47;23.5%), (3)Atypical and neuropathic pain (37;18.5%), (4) Trigeminal neuralgia (16;8%) and (5) Post traumatic trigeminal neuropathy (15,7.5%).
Forty nine patients (24.5%) reported previous micro-trauma and 22 (11%) macro-trauma. Thirteen reported psychiatric background, 9(4.5%) reported on an emotional trauma and 7(3.5%) stopped working due to pain. Mean days of absence from work due to pain were 3.3±19.3.Patients were treated by 2.7±1.4 previous doctors before attending the Orofacial pain clinic. Mean VAS scores were: sleep quality (6.6±2.4), quality of life (5.58±3.1) and pain (7.13±2.3).The mean VAS for pain (p=0.013), sleep quality (p=0.030) and quality of life (p=0.008) were positively associated with stopping work due to pain. The mean VAS for pain was positively associated with pain-related awakening (p=0.002) and negatively associated with quality of life (p< 0.001, Pearson correlation = -0.361).
Conclusions: Orofacial pain significantly impact daily living. Clinicians and health care authorities should be aware of the consequences of chronic orofacial pain. Those patients should be identified and monitored carefully, and encouraged to seek appropriate treatment, which should be directed not only for pain, but also for diagnosing and treating comorbid symptoms, in order to improve their quality of life.