Statistical Approaches to Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders Research

This book covers some biostatistical methods and several case studies useful to interpret and analyze dental research in the areas of orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders. It will guide practitioners in these fields who would like to interpret research findings or find examples on the design of clinical investigations. After an introduction dealing with the basic issues, the central sections of the textbook are dedicated to the different types of investigations in sight of specific goals researchers may have. The final section contains a recent approach based on nonparametric permutation tests which can be adopted in many practical situations. The field of orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders is emerging as one of the most critical areas of clinical research in dentistry. Due to the complexity of clinical pictures, the multifactorial etiology, and the importance of psychosocial factors in all aspects of the TMD practice, clinicians often find it hard to appraise their modus operandi, and researchers must constantly increase their knowledge in epidemiology and medical statistics. Indeed, proper methodological designs are fundamental to reaching high levels of internal and external validity of findings in this specific area.