Clinical handbook for oral, facial, and head pain; part II: sleep & pain

There is a complex relationship between sleep and oral, face, and head pain. In 2023, the Clinical Handbook of Oral, Face, and Head Pain was published in JOFPH, which explored the most common conditions in the field of orofacial pain, including the diagnostic criteria for each and the preliminary treatment options for each in a quick-reference format. However, sleep and its relationship to orofacial pain was intentionally omitted in anticipation of a second document solely dedicated to this topic. This article is the continuation of that work that explores the complex unequal bi-directional relationship between sleep and oral, face, and head pain from an evidence-based perspective. Sleep medicine as a discipline is within the scope of care of orofacial pain specialists, but it is not an officially recognized specialty within dentistry. However, sleep disorders are often associated with the pain experience for conditions like headaches, movement disorders, temporomandibular disorders, myalgia, and other painful disorders of the head and neck. Understanding the complexities of sleep and their relationship to orofacial pain are essential for collaboration with medical professionals who are best equipped to manage complex sleep disorders. Through a bullet-point format along with tables and example screening documents, the authors provide a quick-reference handbook for the clinician that may be used regularly in clinical practice, based on the current available published evidence in similar fashion to the original Clinical Handbook of Oral, Face, and Head Pain.

Facial pain; Sleep wake disorders; Sleep apnea, obstructive; Mandibular advancement; Occlusal splints; Temporomandibular joint disorders; Sleep bruxism; Sleep initiation and maintenance disorders; Sleep disorders, circadian rhythm; Parasomnias

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