J Orofac Pain
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To use PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure), a visual instrument that has recently been developed and validated to assess suffering in patients with chronic physical illness, in orofacial pain patients and test for associations of PRISM with established assessment tools for pain, affective symptoms, and sleep. Of particular interest was the utility of PRISM as a screening tool for severely suffering patients. ⋯ These data add support to the hypothesis that the PRISM task in its paper and pencil version is measuring the burden of suffering. The clinical utility of this simple graphic tool therefore lies in its potential to alert clinicians to a high burden of suffering and thus it may help to identify orofacial pain patients who may benefit from more comprehensive assessment and treatment. Prospective studies are needed to clarify this claim.
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To examine the associations between the ethnic backgrounds of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients in the Netherlands and the level of TMD pain complaints and psychological/behavioral factors and whether these associations are influenced by socioeconomic factors. ⋯ Ethnic background of TMD patients in the Netherlands is associated with psychological factors, regardless of socioeconomic status, but not with TMD pain complaints or oral parafunctions.
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As there is a high correspondence between the experience of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among chronic orofacial pain patients, study objectives included: (1) to document the nature of traumatic experiences and severity of PTSD symptoms among a female sample of orofacial pain patients, (2) to examine the relationship between PTSD symptoms and both pain-related and psychosocial outcomes, and (3) to use structural equation modeling (SEM) to test hypotheses of mediation derived from the Mutual Maintenance Model of chronic pain and PTSD. ⋯ PTSD and depression screening as well as thorough sleep evaluations should be included in the routine assessment for orofacial pain patients and, if appropriate, referrals for treatment of PTSD symptoms should be considered part of the standard of care.
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To evaluate the prevalence of pain associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients referred for oral appliance therapy. ⋯ The high prevalence of TMD in the current study indicates that patients with OSAS referred for oral appliance therapy require specific evaluation related to TMD.