J Oral Med Pain.  2023 Dec;48(4):137-143. 10.14476/jomp.2023.48.4.137.

Assessing the Public’s Interest in Orofacial Pain Specialists: A Google Trends Analysis

• Botros J
• Padilla M

• KMID: 2552103
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14476/jomp.2023.48.4.137

Abstract

Purpose
To assess Google Trends (GT) search behavior regarding orofacial pain (OFP) and headaches.
Methods
GT scores for OFP and headache specialists between February 2013 and December 2022 were analyzed. Statistical tests such as Poisson regression analyses, mean differences, and Cohen’s D were used to assess the score change over time.
Results
The top three search words for OFP specialists were “temporomandibular joint (TMJ) specialist,” “TMJ doctor,” and “TMJ dentist,” whereas the top three search words for headache specialists were “Headache specialist,” “Headache doctor,” and “Migraine specialist.” Here, TMJ is temporomandibular joint. The GT scores for OFP specialists increased significantly (p<0.05) for all years except 2017, with the highest mean difference in 2020. The scores for headache specialists showed similar trends but gradually.
Conclusions
The interest in OFP and headache specialists expressed by Google searches has increased over the years. More awareness is needed regarding the OFP scope of practice, and the use of GT may serve as an indicator.

Keyword

Facial pain; Headache; Trends