This Systematic Review investigates the impact of orofacial pain on OHRQoL as assessed with the OHIP. As stated by the authors, this study is part of a bigger research project aiming to study the different domains of the OHIP related to all the orofacial condition. According to the editor, although very interesting, this represent a first major flaw of the study as the literature search is very broad and the risk of missing papers relevant for the specific topic of this SR is crucial. Furthermore, the search strategy is not clearly reported, thus providing a non-reproducible method.

Furthermore, so far it is not possible to adequality review the submitted SR as the references of the studies included in the review are missing.

Also, since it has been extensively proven that the impact of acute pain on OHRQoL is completely different from that of chronic pain, the different pain conditions that have been combined in the following SR present a dramatic lack of consistency. For instance, BMS is mostly a chronic condition, third molar extraction is a strong short-lasting acute iatrogenic pain, TMD can be both acute or chronic and can be associated or not to dysfunction. In addition, one of the inclusion criteria is that “pain condition is self-reported or clinically diagnosed”. However, it is not clear how pain was recorded in each paper and what was the average amount of pain in the studied sample. Furthermore, most of the included conditions (BMS, third molar extraction) are treated with drugs to reduce the pain. Again, the combination of very different pain condition and the lack of scientific rigour make the SR difficult to read and the results impossible to extend to the clinical practice.

Finally, the greatest flaw concerns the selection of the study, the classification in subgroups and the lack of information provided by the results section and by the Table 1. For instance:
• RCT? Multiple RCT? General dentist? This is not a subgroup, is a method.
• Xerostomia is reported both among oral mucosa and odontogenic pain
• What is the meaning of a study on implant placement in the odontogenic pain?
• Comparison between two groups of ulcers? What kind of ulcers?
• What does OMP stands for?
• Chronic oral mucosal condition?
- 7 studies from the same authors (Lopez-Jornet) - maybe overlapping patients?
- Third molar extraction: CBCT? OPG?
- TMD: the diagnosis is completely unclear, dysfunction (which is not pain) is also included, etc…

I would strongly suggest to go back to the primary study a to evaluate more in-depth the characteristics of each included paper, in order to assess what is really interesting for the purpose of your SR.