Symptom severity in burning mouth syndrome associates with psychological factors

Abstract Background Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients are psychologically distressed, but whether this associates with symptom severity is unclear. Objective To investigate the association of psychological factors with pain intensity and interference in BMS. Methods 52 women (mean age 63.1, SD 10.9) with BMS participated. Pain intensity and interference data was collected using 2-week pain diaries. Psychological factors were evaluated using Depression scale (DEPS), Pain anxiety symptom scale (PASS) and Pain vigilance and awareness questionnaire (PVAQ). The local ethical committee approved the study. Patients were divided into groups based on pain severity distribution tertiles: low intensity (NRS ≤ 3.7) or interference (NRS ≤2.9) (tertiles 1-2, n=35) and moderate to intense intensity (NRS > 3.7) or interference (>2.9)(tertile 3, n= 17). T-test, Wilcoxon Test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient were used in the analyses. Results Patients in the highest intensity and interference tertiles reported more depression (P = .0247 and P = .0169) and pain anxiety symptoms (P = .0359 and P = .0293), and were more preoccupied with pain (P = .0004 and P = .0003) than patients in the low intensity and interference groups. The score of the pain vigilance questionnaire correlated significantly with pain intensity (r= .366, P= .009 and interference (r= .482, P = .009). Depression (r=. 399, P = .003) and pain anxiety symptoms (r= .452, P = .001) correlated with pain interference. Conclusion Symptom severity in BMS associates with symptoms of psychological distress emphasizing the need to develop multidimensional diagnostics for the assessment of BMS pain.Peer reviewe

Health-related quality of life in patients with chronic orofacial pain compared with other chronic pain patients

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of orofacial pain patients is lower than that of the general population and impaired in multiple dimensions. The aim of the present study was to investigate HRQoL of orofacial pain patients in comparison with patients suffering from other chronic pain disorders. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty-one tertiary care facial pain patients (mean age, 50 years; standard deviation [SD], 15; 119 females), were compared with 312 other non-cancer chronic pain patients (mean age, 46 years; SD, 13; 204 women), recruited from three multidisciplinary pain clinics in Finland. The groups were compared using the 15D, and pain-related measures such as pain interference, pain acceptance, anxiety, depression, and sleep. Statistical comparisons between groups were done using t test, chi(2) test, or analysis of covariance. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to study whether pain-related aspects influencing HRQoL are similar between the patient groups. Results: The 15D score was significantly higher in facial pain patients (0.823; SD, 0.114) indicating better HRQoL in comparison with other chronic pain patients (0.732; SD, 0.107) (p < .001). The 15D profiles of studied populations resembled each other but orofacial pain patients showed significantly higher scores for most individual 15D dimensions. Dimensions regarding discomfort and symptoms and sleep were most affected in both groups. Orofacial pain patients showed less psychosocial disability and better acceptance of their pain. Pain acceptance was a weaker explanatory factor of HRQoL in orofacial pain patients. Conclusion: Compared to other non-cancer chronic pain, chronic pain in the orofacial area causes less impairment in HRQoL Orofacial pain patients showed less psychosocial disability and better pain acceptance.Peer reviewe

Symptom severity in burning mouth syndrome associates with psychological factors

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients are psychologically distressed, but whether this associates with symptom severity is unclear. The aim was to investigate the association of psychological factors with pain intensity and interference in BMS. Fifty-two women (mean age 63.1, SD 10.9) with BMS participated. Pain intensity and interference data were collected using 2-week pain diaries. Psychological factors were evaluated using Depression Scale (DEPS), Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale (PASS) and Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ). The local ethical committee approved the study. Patients were divided into groups based on pain severity distribution tertiles: low intensity (NRS 3.7) or interference (>2.9) (tertile 3, n = 17). T test, Wilcoxon's test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used in the analyses. Patients in the highest intensity and interference tertiles reported more depression (P = .0247 and P = .0169) and pain anxiety symptoms (P = .0359 and P = .0293), and were more preoccupied with pain (P = .0004 and P = .0003) than patients in the low intensity and interference groups. The score of the pain vigilance questionnaire correlated significantly with pain intensity (r = .366, P = .009) and interference (r = .482, P = .009). Depression (r = .399, P = .003) and pain anxiety symptoms (r = .452, P = .001) correlated with pain interference. Symptom severity in BMS associates with symptoms of psychological distress emphasising the need to develop multidimensional diagnostics for the assessment of BMS pain

The impact of chronic orofacial pain on health-related quality of life

Background and aims: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessments have been widely used in pain medicine as they are able to reflect the subjective and multidimensional nature of chronic pain. Studies have shown a consistent impairment in HRQoL in different chronic pain conditions. However, it is not known whether HRQoL is impaired in chronic orofacial pain (OFP). The generic 15D HRQoL instrument has been shown to fare as well as or better than other generic HRQoL instruments in the study of chronic pain. The aim was to investigate HRQoL in patients with chronic OFP using the generic 15D HRQoL instrument. The validity of the instrument was tested by studying the association of the 15D data with pain interference. Methods: One hundred fifty-one patients (mean age 50 years, SD 15 years, 119 females) were recruited from three tertiary facial pain clinics. HRQoL data of the participants were contrasted with that of an age- and gender-standardized sample of general population by comparing the mean 15D scores and profiles. The data for the general population came from the National Health 2011 Survey representing Finnish population aged 18 years and older. Pain interference was assessed using Brief Pain Inventory. Based on pain interference distribution the participants were divided into tertiles. Statistical comparison between patient and population HRQoL values were performed using Monte-Carlo-type simulations. Statistical significance for the hypothesis of linearity was evaluated by using generalized linear models. Results: The mean 15D score of OFP patients (0.824, SD 0.113) was statistically significantly lower than that of the age- and gender-standardized general population (0.929, SD 0.019) (p <0.001). The difference between the patients and the general population was also clinically important, i.e. over the minimum clinically important difference in the 15D score. All mean 15D dimension values were significantly lower compared with the general population values (p <0.001 for all dimensions). The largest differences were seen in the dimensions of discomfort and symptoms (0.418, SD 0.222 vs. 0.816, SD 0.027), sleeping (0.693, SD 0.258 vs. 0.838, SD 0.029), and vitality (0.702, SD 0.221 vs. 0.884 SD 0.026). There was a statistically significant linear decrease in the 15D dimension values (p <0.001) with increasing pain interference. The greatest differences were found on the dimensions of discomfort and symptoms, sleeping and vitality. Conclusions: HRQoL is significantly impaired in patients with chronic OFP. A decrease in the 15D dimension values with increasing pain interference indicated convergent validity between 15D and pain interference. Implications: The findings suggest that 15D is an appropriate instrument for use in the assessment of HRQoL in OFP patients. By showing the usefulness of the 15D, the present study may encourage further use of generic HRQoL assessments in the study of chronic OFP, and contribute e.g. to the implementation of HRQoL as one of the core outcome measures in future treatment studies on chronic OFP.Peer reviewe

Survival of Autotransplanted Teeth With Open Apices: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Autotransplantation of teeth is an alternative treatment method in growing patients with hypodontia or impacted teeth. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of, and predictors for, the loss of transplanted teeth in children and young adults.All patients who had undergone tooth transplantation at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Turku University Hospital, from October 1, 2009 to January 5, 2017, were identified from the hospital's database. The outcome variable was survival of the transplanted tooth. The predictor variables were the transplantation type, donor tooth, maturity of the donor tooth, number of roots of the donor tooth, recipient's jaw, the need for extraoral storage of the donor tooth during surgery, continuation of root development during follow-up, and institution experience. One tooth was randomly selected from each subject. The Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis, and the Cox proportional hazards regression analysis results were used to assess the association between survival and the risk factors.The sample included 36 subjects with a mean age of 14.3 years; 33.3% were male, 45 teeth were transplanted, and the median follow-up time was 1.3 years. The 1-year survival rate was 87% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75 to 99%). A significant predictor for tooth survival was the continuation of root development (hazard ratio, 21.3; 95% CI, 2.1 to 215.0; P = .009). Although not statistically significantly, more favorable prognoses were found for distant than for transalveolar transplantations, 1-rooted than multirooted teeth, premolars than molars, teeth not stored in an extraoral media, and teeth that had been transplanted later during the study period.The experience of the professional team, use of open apex premolars, and postoperative continuation of root development of the transplant were the factors associated with favorable outcomes. Transplants could benefit from the use of 3-dimensional models during surgery.</p

Health-related quality of life in patients with chronic orofacial pain compared with other chronic pain patients

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of orofacial pain patients is lower than that of the general population and impaired in multiple dimensions. The aim of the present study was to investigate HRQoL of orofacial pain patients in comparison with patients suffering from other chronic pain disorders.Materials and methods: One hundred and fifty-one tertiary care facial pain patients (mean age, 50 years; standard deviation [SD], 15; 119 females), were compared with 312 other non-cancer chronic pain patients (mean age, 46 years; SD, 13; 204 women), recruited from three multidisciplinary pain clinics in Finland. The groups were compared using the 15D, and pain-related measures such as pain interference, pain acceptance, anxiety, depression, and sleep. Statistical comparisons between groups were done using t test, χ2 test, or analysis of covariance. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to study whether pain-related aspects influencing HRQoL are similar between the patient groups.Results: The 15D score was significantly higher in facial pain patients (0.823; SD, 0.114) indicating better HRQoL in comparison with other chronic pain patients (0.732; SD, 0.107) (p Conclusion: Compared to other non-cancer chronic pain, chronic pain in the orofacial area causes less impairment in HRQoL. Orofacial pain patients showed less psychosocial disability and better pain acceptance.</p

The impact of chronic orofacial pain on health-related quality of life

Background and aimsHealth-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessments have been widely used in pain medicine as they are able to reflect the subjective and multidimensional nature of chronic pain. Studies have shown a consistent impairment in HRQoL in different chronic pain conditions. However, it is not known whether HRQoL is impaired in chronic orofacial pain (OFP). The generic 15D HRQoL instrument has been shown to fare as well as or better than other generic HRQoL instruments in the study of chronic pain. The aim was to investigate HRQoL in patients with chronic OFP using the generic 15D HRQoL instrument. The validity of the instrument was tested by studying the association of the 15D data with pain interference.MethodsOne hundred fifty-one patients (mean age 50 years, SD 15 years, 119 females) were recruited from three tertiary facial pain clinics. HRQoL data of the participants were contrasted with that of an age- and gender- standardized sample of general population by comparing the mean 15D scores and profiles. The data for the general population came from the National Health 2011 Survey representing Finnish population aged 18 years and older. Pain interference was assessed using Brief Pain Inventory. Based on pain interference distribution the participants were divided into tertiles. Statistical comparison between patient and population HRQoL values were performed using Monte-Carlo-type simulations. Statistical significance for the hypothesis of linearity was evaluated by using generalized linear models.ResultsThe mean 15D score of OFP patients (0.824, SD 0.113) was statistically significantly lower than that of the age- and gender-standardized general population (0.929, SD 0.019) (p ConclusionsHRQoL is significantly impaired in patients with chronic OFP. A decrease in the 15D dimension values with increasing pain interference indicated convergent validity between 15D and pain interference.ImplicationsThe findings suggest that 15D is an appropriate instrument for use in the assessment of HRQoL in OFP patients. By showing the usefulness of the 15D, the present study may encourage further use of generic HRQoL assessments in the study of chronic OFP, and contribute e.g. to the implementation of HRQoL as one of the core outcome measures in future treatment studies on chronic OFP.This article offers supplementary material which is provided at the end of the article.</p

Iatrogenic damage to the mandibular nerves as assessed by the masseter inhibitory reflex

Iatrogenic injury of the inferior alveolar or lingual nerves frequently leads to legal actions for damage and compensation for personal suffering. The masseter inhibitory reflex (MIR) is the most used neurophysiological tool for the functional assessment of the trigeminal mandibular division. Aiming at measuring the MIR sensitivity and specificity, we recorded this reflex after mental and tongue stimulations in a controlled, blinded study in 160 consecutive patients with sensory disturbances following dental procedures. The MIR latency was longer on the affected than the contralateral side (P < 0.0001). The overall specificity and sensitivity were 99 and 51%. Our findings indicate that MIR testing, showing an almost absolute specificity, reliably demonstrates nerve damage beyond doubt, whereas the relatively low sensitivity makes the finding of a normal MIR by no means sufficient to exclude nerve damage. Probably, the dysfunction of a small number of nerve fibres, insufficient to produce a MIR abnormality, may still engender important sensory disturbances. We propose that MIR testing, when used for legal purposes, be considered reliable in one direction only, i.e. abnormality does prove nerve damage, normality does not disprove it