Staff Profile

I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist (D.Clin.Psy)  from Newcastle University in 2000. Since then I worked for the NHS as a Clinical Psychologist within a Pain Clinic setting before moving to the University in 2017. My current post is within the School of Dental Sciences where I am involved in research about biopsychosocial factors relevant to persistent orofacial pain. My interests are in developing effective biopsychosocial interventions for people experiencing pain and long-term conditions.

I am responsible for the Behavioural and Social Sciences course for dental students and lecture on psychological aspects of providing dental care across the undergraduate curriculum.

I have a BSc. in Psychology (1991) and an MSc. In Mindfulness Studies (2017).

Area of expertise

• Pain Management
• Psychological treatment for Long Term Conditions

My research interests are in the areas of persistent pain and self-management, both in the field of orofacial pain and more broadly.

I lead on Behavioural Science teaching within the Dental curriculum. I have conducted educational research about reflection and provide some teaching on reflection to dental surgery and dental therapy students.

My primary area of interest is pain. I provide lectures about pain to the schools of dentistry, psychology and pharmacy at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

In the dental school I lead the Admissions process for dental surgery and dental therapy.

• Articles

  • Borthwick C, Penlington C, Robinson L. Partners' Experiences of Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 2024, 31, 585–606.
  • Penlington C, Durham J, O'Brien N, Green R. Filling in the Gaps. Making sense of living with temporomandibular disorders: a reflexive thematic analysis. Journal of Dental Research Clinical and Transational Research 2024, 9(4), 312-398.
  • Penlington C, Pornsukjantra P, Chazot P, Cole F, Denneny D. Confidence of practitioners to support self-management of pain: A multidisciplinary survey. British Journal of Pain 2024, 18(2), 148-154.
  • Borthwick C, Penlington C, Robinson L. Associations Between Adult Attachment, Pain Catastrophizing, Psychological Inflexibility and Disability in Adults with Chronic Pain. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 2024, 31, 571-584.
  • Penlington C, Palmer J, Martinez-Telchi D, Durham J, Tobar-Lahosa V, Casals MJ, Oyarzo JF. Presentation and primary care management of temporomandibular disorders: A survey of primary care dentists in Santiago and Newcastle. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2023, 51(2), 241-246.
  • Corline A, Cole F, Trewern L, Penlington C. Power to the people, to the people. Training for social prescribers improves support of persistent pain. British Journal of Pain 2023, 17(3), 281-292.
  • Penlington C, Durham J, Beecroft E. Paradigms matter: Why persistent pain is different and how dentists can help. British Dental Journal 2023, 236, 599-602.
  • Freeman Z, Penlington C, Fathi H, Shazada K, Waterhouse P. Exploring dental academics' perceptions of and experience with discrimination in UK and Ireland: a qualitative study. British Dental Journal 2023, Epub ahead of print.
  • Ekberg E, Nilsson I-M, Michelotti A, Al-Khotani A, Alstergren P, RodriguesConti PC, Durham J, Goulet J-P, Hirsch C, Kalaykova S, Kapos FP, King CD, Komiyama O, Koutris M, List T, Lobbezoo F, Ohrbach R, Palermo TM, Peck CC, Penlington C, Restrepo C, Rodrigues MJ, Sharma S, Svensson P, Visscher CM, Wahlund K, Rongo R. Diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders—INfORM recommendations: Comprehensive and short-form adaptations for adolescents. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2023, 50(11), 1167-1180.
  • Nilsson IM, Ekberg E, Michelotti A, Al-Khotani A, Alstergren P, Conti PCR, Durham J, Goulet JP, Hirsch C, Kalaykova S, Kapos FP, King CD, Komiyama O, Koutris M, List T, Lobbezoo F, Ohrback R, Palermo TM, Peck CC, Penlington C, Restrepo C, Rodrigues MJ, Sharma S, Svensson P, Visscher C, Wahlund K, Rongo R. Diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders - INFORM recommendations: Comprehensive and short-form adaptations for children. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2023, 50(2), 99-112.
  • Hartley C, Penlington C. ‘I Will Fight for People to Not Have the Experience I’ve Had’: A Thematic Analysis of the Experiences and Perspectives of Chronic Pain Lived Experience Advocates. Qualitative Health Research 2023, 33(11), 995-1004.
  • Hartley C, Penlington C. 'I felt part of the solution'. A qualitative study about the interface between lived experience advocates, professionals and organisations in the field of persistent pain. British Journal of Pain 2024, 18(2), 120-127.
  • Penlington C, Lyttle R, Dillon M, Ali A, Waterhouse P. "I think that comes with experience": A thematic analysis exploring how dental students at a transitional stage of training understand and engage with reflection. European Journal of Dental Education 2023, 27(4), 869-878.
  • Penlington C, Ashmore J, Agathangelou M, Cruickshank R, Cole F. Ten Footsteps 2021. An Online course to support 1 self-management of painhttps://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ppa/pr/2022/00002022/00000052. Pain and Rehabilitation 2022, 52(8), 34-41.
  • Penlington C, Bowes C, Taylor G, Otemade AA, Waterhouse P, Durham J, Ohrbach R. Psychological therapies for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, (8), CD013515.
  • Beaven A, Boullin P, Penlington C. Do psychological attachment styles influence dental anxiety and dental attendance?. British Dental Journal 2022, epub ahead of print.
  • Rongo R, Ekberg E, Nilsson I-M, Al-Khotani A, Alstergren P, Rodrigues Conti PC, Durham J, Goulet J-P, Hirsch C, Kalaykova SI, Kapos FP, King CD, Komiyama O, Koutris M, List T, Lobbezoo F, Ohrbach R, Palermo TM, Peck CC, Penlington C, Restrepo C, Rodrigues MJ, Sharma S, Svensson P, Visscher CM, Wahlund K, Michelotti A. Diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders in children and adolescents: An international Delphi study-Part 2-Development of Axis II. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2022, 49(5), 541-552.
  • Calladine H, Currie C, Penlington C. A survey of patients' concerns about visiting the dentist and how dentists can help. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2022, 49(4), 414-421.
  • Edwards D, Bowes C, Penlington C, Durham J. Temporomandibular Disorders and Dietary Changes: A Cross-sectional Survey. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2021, 48(8), 873-879.
  • Beecroft EV, Penlington C, Allison JR, Palmer J, Durham J. Pharmacological interventions for painful persistent temporomandibular disorders (TMD) (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, (12), CD014919.
  • Fulton C, Carr A, Penlington C. Exploring the term "resilience" as understood and experienced by dental educators. European Journal of Dental Education 2021, 25(3), 573-581.
  • Allison JR, Penlington C, Durham J. DEEP Study: Utility of the multidimensional pain inventory in persistent orofacial pain. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 2021, 48(11), 1210-1218.
  • Penlington C, Ohrbach R. Biopsychosocial assessment and management of persistent orofacial pain. Oral Surgery 2020, 13(4), 349-357.
  • Penlington C, Urbanek M, Barker S. Psychological Theories of Pain. Primary Dental Journal 2019, 7(4), 24-29.
  • Barker S, Urbanek M, Penlington C. Psychological Interventions for Persistent Orofacial Pain. Primary Dental Journal 2019, 7(4), 30-35.
  • Penlington C, Araujo-Soares V, Durham J. Predicting Persistent Orofacial Pain: The Role of Illness Perceptions, Anxiety, and Depression. JDR Clinical & Translational Research 2019, 5(1), 40-49.
  • Penlington C. Exploring a compassion-focused intervention for persistent pain in a group setting. British Journal of Pain 2019, 13(1), 59-66.

• Book Chapter

  • Penlington C. Working with long-term conditions. In: Papworth M; Marrinan T, ed. Low Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: A practitioner's guide. London: SAGE, 2018, pp.350-385.