ABSTRACT
The psychological aspects of chronic pain conditions represent a key component of
the pain experience, and orofacial pain conditions are not an exception. In this review,
we highlight how psychological factors affect some common oral mucosal and orofacial
pain conditions (namely, oral lichen planus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, burning
mouth syndrome, and temporomandibular disorders) with emphasis on the significance
of supplementing classical biomedical treatment modalities with appropriate psychological
counseling to improve treatment outcomes in targeted patients. A literature search
restricted to reports with highest relevance to the selected mucosal and orofacial
pain conditions was carried out to retrieve data.
Key words:
Oral mucosa - orofacial pain - psychology - psychosocial