The New Specialties of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine: Practical Strategies to Improve Access to Care for Orofacial Disorders

ABSTRACT

Orofacial disorders are common and complex disorders with an estimated collective prevalence of over 40% of the general population. To improve access to care, orofacial pain and oral medicine have now been recognized as dental specialties. Thus, it is recommended that all dental schools and other health professional schools increase pre- and post-doctoral education, patient care, clinical training, and research on these conditions. This paper reviews the barriers and solutions to improving access to quality, effective, and affordable care for oral and facial disorders to prevent complications, chronic pain and the negative impact on the lives of those who suffer from them.

KEYWORDS:

• bruxism
• burning mouth
• chronic pain
• headache
• orofacial pain
• oromotor disorders
• oral medicine
• oral lesions
• sleep apnea
• temporomandibular disorders

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James Fricton

James Fricton, DDS, MS has devoted his career to patient care and research in temporomandibular and orofacial pain disorders and preventing chronic pain and addiction. He is a Professor Emeritus in the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Public Health at the University of Minnesota and is the co-author of several books including TMJ and Orofacial Pain: Diagnosis and Orofacial Disorders: Current Therapies in Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine. He takes great joy in helping patients with TMJ and orofacial, head and neck pain conditions and obstructive sleep disorders at the Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic and He also has an on-line course on Preventing Chronic Pain: A Human Systems Approach at https://www.coursera.org/learn/chronic-pain

Nelson L. Rhodus

Nelson L. Rhodus, DMD, MPH, FICD, FRCSEd, FAAOM, Diplomate American Board of Oral Medicine, is a Morse Distinguished Professor and Director of the Division of Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis and Radiology in the Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences in the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.