All 4 faces pain scales were found to be adequately supported by psychometric data .
When given a choice between faces scales , children preferred the WBFPRS .
Confounding of pain intensity with affect caused by use of smiling and crying anchor faces is a disadvantage of the WBFPRS .
: For clinical use , we found no grounds to switch from 1 faces scale to another when 1 of the scales is in use .
CONTEXT : Numerous faces scales have been developed for the measurement of  pain intensity in children .
It remains unclear whether any one of the faces scales is better for a particular purpose with regard to validity , reliability , feasibility , and preference .
OBJECTIVES : To summarize and systematic ally review faces pain scales most commonly used to obtain self-report of pain intensity in children for evaluation of reliability and validity and to compare the scales for preference and utility .
Evaluation of toothache severity in children using a visual analogue scale of faces.
PURPOSE Pain is a frequent symptom of oral disease . It is difficult to measure , however , due to its subjectivity , especially among children . The purpose of this study was to verify the utility and applicability of a  visual analogue scale of faces ( VASOF ) , adapted for 8- to 9-year-olds , to measure the severity of toothaches . METHODS A cross-sectional study was undertaken , which included 601 boys and girls r and omly selected from state and private schools in the city of Belo Horizonte , Minas Gerais , Brazil . They were interviewed and clinical ly examined , and a VASOF was applied . RESULTS The VASOF 's application revealed a high percentage of intense/very intense pain in the sample ( 39 % ) . The presence of this pain intensity was accompanied by a high incidence of children who cried , were awakened by the pain , and were unable to carry out habitual tasks . Furthermore , this severe pain was strongly associated with less-privileged economic groups and the presence of oral pathology ( P < or = .05 ) . The scale was well understood by children , independent of gender or economic group . CONCLUSIONS A VASOF was found to be capable of measuring toothache severity experienced by school-age children
All 4 faces pain scales were found to be adequately supported by psychometric data .
When given a choice between faces scales , children preferred the WBFPRS .
Confounding of pain intensity with affect caused by use of smiling and crying anchor faces is a disadvantage of the WBFPRS .
: For clinical use , we found no grounds to switch from 1 faces scale to another when 1 of the scales is in use .
CONTEXT : Numerous faces scales have been developed for the measurement of  pain intensity in children .
It remains unclear whether any one of the faces scales is better for a particular purpose with regard to validity , reliability , feasibility , and preference .
OBJECTIVES : To summarize and systematic ally review faces pain scales most commonly used to obtain self-report of pain intensity in children for evaluation of reliability and validity and to compare the scales for preference and utility .