Background & Aims

Orofacial pain remains one of the most challenging types of pain to treat due to its complexity. Psychological conditions, namely stress, depression, and anxiety, have been investigated for their role in the complexity of pain, including orofacial. Yet, regardless of the number of previous studies, there are still contradicting results. This systematic review aimed to explore previous studies on orofacial pain and its link to anxiety, and whether pain duration also plays a role in this association.

Methods

This systematic review adhered to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Article searching was conducted through three scholarly databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. The selection of articles underwent a multi-phase process based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by an evaluation of each article’s methodological rigor and potential for bias. Assessment of bias was carried out using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) critical appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies. All extracted data were then tabulated and analyzed qualitatively.

Results

The final review process included an analysis of high-quality 13 cross-sectional studies. Findings from the systematic review indicated a generally positive, yet fluctuating intensity, association between orofacial pain and anxiety. Most of the studies suggested that anxiety contributes to the likelihood of developing orofacial pain. Furthermore, several studies specifically highlighted a relationship between chronic orofacial pain and anxiety.

Conclusions

This review identified a varying degree of correlation between orofacial pain and anxiety, indicating the importance of future research. In the meantime, considering the involvement of anxiety and the impact of pain duration on anxiety itself during orofacial pain management might provide better results.

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Presenting Author

Marshya Kamila Rahardian

Poster Authors

Marshya Kamila Rahardian

Lead Author

Farah Asnely Putri

Faculty of Dentistry Universitas Padjadjaran

Lead Author

Tantry Maulina

DDS

RadboudUMC, the Netherlands

Lead Author

Topics

  • Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Orofacial Pain