ArticleSpecial 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 Dentistry
Are orofacial pain assessment tools for adults who cannot self-report pain suitable for dental practice? A scoping review.
Article in 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 Dentistry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Scoping review on orofacial pain management in older adults with dementia.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Orofacial pain and dementia: a brief narrative review of associations, putative mechanisms, and relevant clinical considerations.Odontology · 2026Review
- Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Arabic version of the Orofacial Awakening Symptoms Questionnaire (OFASQ).Journal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2026Article
- Advancing pain assessment in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy for investigating brain activity.British journal of pain · 2026Article
- 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
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThis study aims to identify and appraise orofacial pain assessment tools designed to score pain in adults who cannot self-report and rate their suitability for dental practice.
methodsA protocolled systematic scoping review, in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute methods was completed. A development panel (n = 7) reviewed attributes of each tool for suitability for use in dental practice, using predefined criteria.
resultsNine studies were included. Sample size ranged from n = 22 to n = 348; all participants were 65 years plus and had a cognitive impairment or dementia, excluding controls. Four tools were identified: Facial action coding system (FACS), mobilization-observation-behavior-intensity in dementia pain scale (MOBID I & II) and, orofacial pain scale-non-verbal individuals (OPS-NVI). Tools scored between two and thirteen out of twenty according to modified quality assessment criteria. No tool was deemed suitable for use in dental surgery, with the OPS-NVI scoring most favorably.
conclusionsNo tools were deemed ideal for use within a dental clinic. Elements of some, particularly the OPS-NVI, may be adaptable for this purpose. Despite the difficulties dental practitioners face trying to assess pain in non-speaking patients, there was no suitable tool identified. Pathways need to be designed to facilitate inclusive orofacial pain assessment for those who cannot self-report pain.
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