Assessment of the Psychological Comorbidity, Pathophysiological Mechanisms, and Treatment Implications in Patients with Chronic Orofacial Pain

Chronic orofacial pain is a multifaceted health problem that like many other forms ofchronic pain bears deleterious effects upon quality of life as well as psychological andphysiological well-being. Due to a poorly understood etiology, effective treatment strategies are lacking and tend to lack a guiding integrative conceptual framework toform the basis and development of intervention. This review seeks to provide an updatedreview of the comorbid psychological disorders and characteristics that are common among chronic orofacial pain patients, while also examining the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying orofacial pain. Rather than consider the emotional, cognitive, andneuroendocrine influences upon pain perception and severity individually, these factorsshould be viewed as working in concert with one another. It is this interplay amongst distinct psychological characteristics governing the patient along with physiologicalmechanisms that exacerbate the pain. Together, the goal is to identify unique characteristics surrounding orofacial pain and offer some plausible insights for effectivetreatment outcomes.