Pain Management in Dentistry, Myths and Evidence Based Practice

Pain Management is an important component of patient care in any health care profession. Clinical identification of the etiology of pain, not prescription of analgesic medications, is the first appropriate step in pain management. Understanding pain neurocircuitry and mechanisms of action of analgesic medications is required for an evidence-based approach to pain management.

Management of acute orofacial pain is inherently complex, due to the multiplicity of the anatomical structures of the face and oral cavity. The assumption that orofacial pain is “just about teeth” would be incorrect, as numerous other structures and etiologies require taking a complete medical history and conducting a thorough clinical assessment.

Learning Objectives:

1. Odontogenic vs non-odontogenic orofacial pain;
2. Sinusitis; and migraines.
3. Opioid Prescribing in Dentistry;
4. Efficacy and Safety of Alternatives to Opioid Prescribing in Dentistry; and
5. New Developments in Analgesia.