Genetic biomarkers of orofacial pain disorders

Despite major advances in basic and translational research, pain medicine still offers no cure for persistent orofacial pain disorders, nor effective strategies for preventing their development. There is growing hope that knowledge garnered in pain genetics will identify novel target molecules for more effective drug treatments and “precision medicine” approaches that best fit each patient’s genome. Combined with nongenetic information, knowledge of inherited variation may lead to development of algorithms that yield more precise biologically based diagnoses and prognoses for orofacial pain conditions. This chapter reviews the current status of pain genetics with a focus on persistent orofacial pain.