Observational studyBMC geriatrics2018
Oral health and orofacial pain in people with dementia admitted to acute hospital wards: observational cohort study.
Observational study in BMC geriatrics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Evaluating the role of the smartjournal digital intervention in improving oral hygiene among nursing home residents: a cluster randomised trial.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Pain Incidence, Treatment, and Associated Symptoms in Hospitalized Persons with Dementia.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses · 2021Trial
- Orofacial pain and dementia: a brief narrative review of associations, putative mechanisms, and relevant clinical considerations.Odontology · 2026Review
- Pain Cues in People With Dementia: Scoping Review.JMIR mental health · 2025Article
- Oral symptoms in dying nursing home patients. Results from the prospective REDIC study.BMC oral health · 2024Observational
- Pain in non-communicative older adults beyond dementia: a narrative review.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Review
- Understanding Pain and Agitation Through System Analysis Algorithms in People With Dementia. A Novel Explorative Approach by the DIGI.PAIN Study.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Article
- [Pain in dementia].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2021Review
- The knowledge and attitudes of general practitioners to the assessment and management of pain in people with dementia.BMC family practice · 2018Article
- Pain in dementia.Pain reportsArticle
- Are orofacial pain assessment tools for adults who cannot self-report pain suitable for dental practice? A scoping review.Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric DentistryArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOrofacial pain in people with dementia is difficult to detect, and often under-treated. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of orofacial pain in people with dementia in acute hospitals in the UK. Secondary aims were to examine oral health status and explore associations between orofacial pain and oral health factors.
methodsThis cross-sectional observational study was carried out in two UK hospitals. Using the Orofacial Pain Scale in Non-Verbal Individuals (OPS-NVI) to identify orofacial pain, 101 participants with dementia, admitted to acute medical wards, were observed for at least 3 min during rest and chewing. Verbal participants were then asked about presence of orofacial pain, using self-report pain scales. Finally, a brief oral assessment was performed.
resultsOrofacial pain, assessed with the OPS-NVI, was present in 11.9% (95% C.I. 5.9, 18.8) of participants at rest and 21.9% (95% C.I. 14.6, 31.3) whilst chewing. Participants who were no longer able to self-report pain were significantly more likely to experience orofacial pain. Oral health in both dentate and edentate participants was poor. Brush frequency, indication of chewing quality, consistency of the food, presence of extra-oral abnormalities, person who performed mouth care, and oral hygiene in dentate participants were significant predictors for the presence of orofacial pain.
conclusionImproving oral care in acute hospital patients with dementia, particularly those who cannot self-report pain, may significantly reduce pain and suffering in this population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.