Prevalence of oral and facial pain and discomfort: preliminary results of a mail survey

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Abstract
A mail survey was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of oral and facial pain and discomfort in the City of Toronto. Self‐complete questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 1014 persons drawn from the voter's list. Replies were received from 72% of those eligible. Overall, 53% of respondents had experienced some pain or discomfort in the 4 wk prior to the completion of the questionnaire. The most common kinds of pain and discomfort reported were pain in the teeth with hot or cold fluids (28.8%), sore and bleeding gums (26.3%) and toothache (14.1 %). Pain in jaws, face and oral mucosa was reported by less than 10% of the subjects. While much of the pain experienced by the respondents was classified as mild, half (50.1%) said that it was moderately severe or severe. Only 40% of those reporting pain had sought the advice of a dentist or doctor. Sex differences in the reporting of pain were small and statistically non‐significant, although age differences were marked and significant. The younger age groups were more likely to report both pain and discomfort than the older age groups. The survey has revealed a substantial amount of oral and facial pain in the community, much of which is not subject to professional attention.

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