Abstract

Research around facial expression of emotions has only made significant progress in the last two decades, remaining closely connected to the emerging empirical knowledge in the field of non-verbal communication. Understanding the phenomenon of Pain experience involves and raises questions across various healthcare specialties, and therefore, it should be approached in a necessarily multidisciplinary manner, emphasizing the Biopsychosocial nature of the pain phenomenon. It is essential to implement the true biopsychosocial model from a Patient-centered perspective, in which the Dentist should position themselves, in essence, within the context of the Dentist-Patient Relationship as a “reader of the facial expressions” of the Patient, with the relationship established with the “Silent Patient” functioning as a “therapeutic analgesia” within the context of the Dentist-Patient relationship. Nevertheless, the major challenge facing the Dentist in relation to the subjective language of Pain is a matter of time availability, both due to the demands of healthcare institution management models, which allocate little time for Therapeutic dialogue, and the intrapsychic availability of both the Patient and the Healthcare Professional.

Keywords

emotional diagnosis, dentistry, orofacial pain, dentist-patient relationship, clinical education