Alexandria, Va., USA – The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published a special issue of the Journal of Dental Research (JDR) on orofacial pain. Ronald Dubner, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, served as the guest editor of this special issue.

Today, pain is a health problem that requires a broader perspective than in the past. Millions of people suffer from overlapping chronic pain conditions that share co-morbid behavioral, physiological and psychological characteristics as well as genetic determinants. Many of these conditions affect the orofacial region uniquely or have accompanied widespread systemic manifestations. This includes temporomandibular disorders (TMD), headache, arthritis, and fibromyalgia, to name just a few.

The recognition of the above issues and their importance to students, dental scientists and practitioners has led to this special issue, which highlights the latest developments in the field of chronic orofacial pain. This issue was inspired by the November 2015, 8th AADR Fall Focused Symposium in Washington, D.C., USA, themed "Advances in the Biology and Management of Chronic Pain."

"I am honored that I was able to serve as the guest editor of this special JDR issue on orofacial pain," said Guest Editor Ronald Dubner. "It's pertinent that we focus on the management of orofacial pain for the benefit of our patients and researchers in the field. The articles in this issue include the impact of persistent orofacial pain beyond the orofacial region, its presence as a component of generalized illness and the important evolution of TMD diagnosis in the last decade. I am thankful to the outstanding basic and clinical researchers who contributed their science for publication."

To read the JDR special issue on orofacial pain, please visit https://jdr.sagepub.com.