Chronic Pain Management: What Do I Need to Know?-Chronic Pain Management: What Do I Need to Know?

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, presented by Dr. Aviv Wanounou, focused on chronic facial pain management in dentistry, especially pharmacological treatment. After briefly reviewing pharmacology basics and contrasting acute versus chronic pain, Dr. Wanounou emphasized that chronic pain is more complex, fluctuating, and often requires long-term management rather than cure. He discussed major oral and maxillofacial pain conditions, including trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, atypical facial pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, and temporomandibular disorders (TMD).<br /><br />Treatment options reviewed included NSAIDs, opioids, corticosteroids, tricyclic antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants. He stressed that medications are adjuncts, not stand-alone solutions, and that non-invasive therapies such as splints, physiotherapy, and massage should be considered first. Special attention was given to dosing, side effects, drug interactions, and risks in elderly patients or those with liver, kidney, GI, psychiatric, or substance-use issues. He repeatedly highlighted the importance of risk-benefit analysis, close follow-up, and interprofessional collaboration.<br /><br />Overall, the lecture underscored that chronic pain prescribing requires careful training, cautious titration, and ongoing monitoring.

Asset Caption

Description This course is intended to provide dental professionals with an overview of the nature and scope of chronic pain. The various types of chronic pain disorders, including temporomandibular disorders, will be discussed. We will review the prevalence and diagnosis of various pain conditions in the oral and maxillofacial complex. Also, this course will provide an overview of common medications used to treat chronic orofacial pain and will discuss adverse drug reactions and interactions. Learning Objectives Discuss the prevalence of chronic pain. Describe the various types of chronic pain conditions in the oral and maxillofacial complex. Describe pharmacologic treatments for chronic pain. Speaker Bio Aviv Ouanounou, BSc, MSc, DDS, FACD, FICO, FICD, is an associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto (U of T). Ouanounou is regularly invited to speak at conferences locally, nationally and internationally. Ouanounou has won numerous teaching awards, including “Best Teacher of the Year” three times (2013, 2015 and 2019), the Dr. Bruce Hord Master Teacher Award (2014–15), and the W.W. Wood Award (2018–19) for excellence in teaching, all from U of T. He has published and authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. He also maintains a general private practice in Toronto.

Keywords

chronic facial pain

dental pharmacology

trigeminal neuralgia

temporomandibular disorders

anticonvulsants

tricyclic antidepressants

NSAIDs

pain management

interprofessional collaboration