The Need for Multidisciplinary Handling of Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Childhood is the most crucial period in human life. From childhood on, children grow with their dreams and wishes and struggle their entire lives to reach their goals. However, an overabundance of fears and threats may negatively influence a child’s well-being. One such threat is a pain, which is a common experience in childhood that can be caused by trauma, serious accidents, psychological distress, diseases, or medical/dental treatments. Unfortunately, it is a common health problem that affects many aspects of function for millions of people around the world. Adolescence, on the other hand, is a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood that corresponds not only with the growth and development of the craniofacial region and other parts of the body but also of psychological and social perspectives. Studies report that pain in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated orofacial structures are responsible for more than threequarter of dental appointments among adolescents. Further, besides the consequences of physical stress, impaired learning ability, psychological suffering, broken social relationships, and absence from school arising from acute untreated cases that have unfortunately become chronic, society bears an economic burden that is vital to consider. This short communication is intended for medical and dental caregivers to increase awareness of managing orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders (OFP/TMD) in children and adolescents. This issue should be taken into consideration in order not only to minimize the suffering of pain, but also to avoid the associated psychosocial consequences. Furthermore, it clarifies why dentists (pediatric dentists in specific) should cooperate with other specialties to reduce expected consequences from continuing to adulthood.