Orofacial pain - defined aspain lasting over three months in the mouth or face - is increasing in prevelance, with approximately 7% of the UK population having experienced it. It is currently managed by either dentists or general medical practitioners, both of whom have radically different approaches to treatment. While management of orofacial pain has improved quite dramatically over recent years, it is essential that dentists and general practitioners are aware of these advances and of the differences in their approaches.
This concise handbook takes an evidence-based psychosocial approach to the management of patients with pain in the face or mouth and provides basic guidelines to facilitate care quickly in the clinical setting. The book will serve as a useful guide for dental practitioners, specialists in orofacial pain, trainee pain specialists, neurologists with an interest in pain, specialist pain nurses, as well as general medical practitioners.

Trigeminal neuralgia and other cranial neuralgias comprise a group of facial pain conditions, characterised by disabling pain attacks that selectively respond to specific treatments. Although not as common migraine, they affect over 1% of the population and must be recognised and adequately treated in clinical practice. The spectrum of cranial neuralgias is wide and as a consequence the conditions are managed by a range of different specialists. Studies show that delayed diagnoses and mismanagement are common and can lead to depression and suicide. 36 recognised experts from nine countries have contributed to OPML Trigeminal Neuralgia and Other Cranial Neuralgias to guide you through the maze of pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis-making, and condition-specific treatments. The approach is practical and evidence-based and ready for real-world applications. The value of phenotyping, targeted investigations, and treatment algorithms is emphasised. The editors and contributors subscribe to the view that there needs to be a holistic approach with multidisciplinary teams working together and with patients being at the centre of this process. Psychologists and patent support groups can help to ensure that patients are managed holistically and share the decision-making process. Their involvement in the handbook has helped to emphasis this. There remain considerable challenges, but the field is rapidly evolving and there are increasing number of opportunities opening up to improve our understanding of these conditions and hence their management. The editors and contributors have included case scenarios, algorithms, self-administered tools for training in diagnosis and management, clinical tips and carefully chosen references. Each chapter includes a lay summary and key points and can be read as a stand-alone unit.