GOLTC Pain in Care homes Interest Group webinar

Date: 23 June 2026

Time: 15:00-16.00 BST (you can check your local time here)

Link: register to join on Zoom

Older people living with conditions like Parkinson’s disease or dementia frequently suffer from orofacial pain. However, the accurate assessment of orofacial pain in such individuals is challenging. In this webinar, the complexities of assessing and managing orofacial pain in special needs populations will be described. In addition, the importance of maintaining or restoring a good quality of life will be highlighted, while the urgent need for oral care as part of palliative care will be stressed as well. To accomplish all this, interdisciplinary collaboration between medical doctors and dentists should be promoted in research, education, prevention, and care provision.

The webinar will cover:

1. Introduction to the Global Observatory of Long-Term care and welcome (Adelina Comas-Herrera, Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, LSE, UK).
2. Introduction to the Pain in Care homes GOLTC Interest Group (Dr. Manuela Hoedl: Medical University of Graz; Prof Sandra Zwakhalen: Maastricht University, Netherlands
3. Orofacial Pain in Nursing Home Residents, Prof. Dr. Frank Lobbezoo, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.
4. Discussion: Dr. Manuela Hoedl: Medical University of Graz; Prof Sandra Zwakhalen: Maastricht University, Netherlands

Relevant publications:

1. Delwel S, Scherder EJA, de Baat C, Binnekade TT, van der Wouden JC, Hertogh C, Maier AB, Perez R, Lobbezoo F. Orofacial pain and its potential oral causes in older people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. J Oral Rehabil. Jan 2019;46(1):23-32. doi:10.1111/joor.12724
2. Lobbezoo, F., Verhoeff, M. C., Aarab, G., Husebø, B. S., van der Torre, W., & Volgenant, C. M. (2023). The contribution of palliative oral health care to dying with dignity. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 154(1), 3-5.
3. Lobbezoo, F., Parisius, K. G., & Verhoeff, M. C. (2024). Orofacial pain and dysfunction in patients with special needs, with a focus on interdisciplinarity. Pain, 165(11S), S15-S22.
4. Lobbezoo, F., Häggman‐Henrikson, B., Verhoeff, M. C., Aarab, G., Ahlberg, J., Alstergren, P., … & Sessle, B. J. (2025). All Hands on Deck—Let’s Not Forget About Orofacial Pain in Low‐and Middle‐Income Settings. European Journal of Pain, 29(9), e70126.
5. van de Rijt LJ, Weijenberg RA, Feast AR, Delwel S, Vickerstaff V, Lobbezoo F, Sampson EL. Orofacial Pain During Rest and Chewing in Dementia Patients Admitted to Acute Hospital Wards: Validity Testing of the Orofacial Pain Scale for Non-Verbal Individuals. J Oral Facial Pain Headache. Summer 2019;33(3):247–253. doi:10.11607/ofph.2136
6. van de Rijt LJ, Feast AR, Vickerstaff V, Lobbezoo F, Sampson EL. Prevalence and associations of orofacial pain and oral health factors in nursing home residents with and without dementia. Age Ageing. Apr 27 2020;49(3):418-424. doi:10.1093/ageing/afz169
7. van de Rijt LJM, Feast AR, Vickerstaff V, Sampson EL, Lobbezoo F. Oral function and its association with nutrition and quality of life in nursing home residents with and without dementia: A cross-sectional study. Gerodontology. Dec 2021;38(4):404-413. doi:10.1111/ger.12535