DT News - UK - Study reveals hidden costs of persistent orofacial pain

Dental Tribune UK

Thu. 19 July 2018

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NEWCASTLE, UK: Orofacial pain, which affects an estimated 7 per cent of the British population, is an issue caused by a group of conditions affecting the face, head or mouth. A new study at Newcastle University has found that the hidden costs of persistent orofacial pain to the economy are greater than £3,000 per person per year. According to the researchers, the easiest method for reducing this and improving quality of life would be an electronic referral system.

For their study, the research team asked 200 patients with long-term mouth or face pain to complete questionnaires every six months for two years to assess how the NHS can help people deal with their pain. The participants reported an average of nine healthcare appointments within a six-month period, as well as missing nearly two days’ worth of work. Though they were unlikely to take time off work owing to their chronic orofacial pain, participants reported experiencing pain for an average of nearly 35 working days in a six-month period, leading to a decrease in productivity.

Overall, out-of-pocket costs for patients—including prescription charges and travel expenses to and from appointments—were found to be greater than £650 per year. Costs to employers due to absenteeism and reduced productivity were found to be almost £2,500 over the same period.

“Persistent facial pain is like having toothache every day of the week and, therefore, understandably has a profound and debilitating impact on people’s lives, and our research has highlighted the hidden costs of this condition,” said study leader Justin Durham, Professor of Orofacial Pain and Deputy Dean of Clinical Medicine at the university.

“Our research shows that people have to go around the proverbial ‘mulberry bush’, visiting lots of different healthcare professionals to even get close to obtaining a diagnosis, never mind beginning treatment for their condition,” added Durham.

“We’re calling for the introduction of an electronic referral system which uses a Graded Chronic Pain Scale—a simple seven-item questionnaire. This scale would be a reliable way to determine who to fast-track to specialists and who should begin care immediately at their dentists or GP, meaning direct referrals would be made electronically to the best service local to the patient rather than relying on healthcare professionals’ knowledge of who manages persistent facial pain in their locality.”

The research team is partnering with the British Dental Association to help dentists and general practitioners manage persistent orofacial pain by organising a series of study days next year.

The study, titled “DEEP Study: Indirect and out-of-pocket costs of persistent orofacial pain”, was published online in the Journal of Dental Research on 16 July 2018.

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