Patient Safety and Quality Improvement in the Care of Musculoskeletal Orofacial Pain

Background Nearly half of the global population has some form of oral health-related disease primarily associated with caries or tooth decay, periodontal disease, tooth loss or oral cancer. Oral and face pains are a primary motivator for healthcare consultation. While not specifically included in global estimates, orofacial pain associated with oral diseases and orofacial pain disorders pose significant global public health and financial burdens. Thus, it is paramount to act on opportunities to improve the practice of medicine in dentistry.Examined Literature and Conceptual Advancement This article centers on areas for improvement in the fields of oral health and dentistry in defining, evaluating, and treating musculoskeletal orofacial pains, a category of pain disorders within orofacial pain leading to physical pain and both mental and physical disability. We discuss how features of dentistry, current modes of specialist training, and cultural norms have inadvertently created barriers to improvements in care quality and may even promote harms to patient groups with musculoskeletal pain. We provide critical insights and solutions in patient safety and quality improvement efforts from other areas of medicine, such as in emergency or acute care settings.Practical Implications Because musculoskeletal orofacial pains are a wide-spread, common, and costly constellation of oral health disorders, they represent a keystone treatment area for the fields of dentistry and oral health to bridge with existing patient safety and quality improvement efforts. We conclude by providing several recommendations from lessons learned in patient safety and quality improvement applied to musculoskeletal pain care. Collectively, these lessons stand to: (1) promote sharing of information, (2) encourage collaboration and transdisciplinary problem solving as a medical community, and (3) improve diagnostic accuracy and optimal delivery of the highest quality treatment as safely as possible for both patients and providers.