Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain

Korean Academy of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine (대한안면통증구강내과학회)
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Assessing the Public's Interest in Orofacial Pain Specialists: A Google Trends Analysis

  • Jack Botros (Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Clinic, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC) ;
  • Mariela Padilla (Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Clinic, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC)
  • Received : 2023.10.06
  • Accepted : 2023.11.22
  • Published : 2023.12.30
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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.

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