Assessment of patients suffering from chronic orofacial pain of nonspecific origin.

The diagnosis and assessment of patients suffering from chronic, persistent orofacial pain of nonspecific origin can be difficult because of the interactions between psychological and somatic signs. Patients with chronic pain are treated differently from those with acute pain and often fail to respond to the usual acute pain model. This article discusses the practical assessment and drug treatment of chronic orofacial pain of nonspecific origin.