Can infrared thermography replace other methods of assessing orofacial pain intensity? Systematic review

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Measuring pain is complex due to its various components, including the subjective aspect. Establishing an effective and safe method for assessing orofacial pain (OFP) is extremely important. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to verify whether Infrared Thermography (IT) can be used as a substitute for other methods of evaluating the intensity of neuropathic or musculoskeletal OFP. CONTENTS: Five databases were searched: Pubmed, Scielo, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane. The PECO question was used to guide the definition of eligibility criteria used to select the articles. The risk of bias was analyzed using the Joanna Briggs scale. Five studies met the eligibility criteria. Of the five eligible studies, four reported an association between orofacial pain intensity and temperature. Of these, one article showed that patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and pain showed an increase in temperature when compared with individuals without pain. The other three articles showed a decrease in temperature with increasing pain intensity. In only one study pain intensity was not significantly associated with temperature. CONCLUSION: IT does not replace other pain intensity assessment methods, but it is an important ally for complementing diagnostic procedures. Additional investigations are necessary to find a standardized method for obtaining and analyzing orofacial infrared images.