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Abstract

Background: Orofacial pain is a multifactorial complaint frequently encountered in dental and maxillofacial outpatient clinics. The causes range from dental pathologies to trauma and neuralgias and understanding their distribution is essential for efficient clinical management and planning.
Objective: To evaluate how often different types of orofacial pain occur and how are they distributed among patients visiting  dental and maxillofacial outpatient clinics  of a tertiary care institution ;with the aim of supporting targeted care and enhancing preparedness in specialized domains of orofacial pain management.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the oral and maxillofacial surgery outpatient  department of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi from 30th June 2016 till 30th December 2016.  A total of 289 patients satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly selected.  Among the total,100 patients were diagnosed with trauma -associated  orofacial pain ,including cases linked to road traffic accidents, sports injuries, fall and interpersonal violence and abuse.The age, duration and severity noted and pattern diagnosed.
Result: Trauma -associated orofacial pain was identified as the most frequently observed category among patients seeking care at  the dental and maxillofacial outpatient department of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. This pattern was especially notable in younger age groups and male patients, highlighting trauma as a major contributor to orofacial pain burden in the tertiary care setting.
Conclusion: Trauma emerged as the most frequent cause of orofacial pain among outpatient attendees. Maxillofacial clinics and wards routinely manage a high volume of trauma related orofacial pain cases, ranging from minor soft tissue injuries to complex maxillary and mandibular fractures. This pattern highlights the need for sustained trauma focused infrastructure, training and resource allocation within public sector maxillofacial units.