Welcome to The Orofacial Pain Clinic
Orofacial Pain (OFP) is the specialty of dentistry that encompasses the diagnosis, management and treatment of pain disorders of the jaw, mouth, face and associated regions. The specialty of OFP is dedicated to the evidenced-based understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, etiology, prevention, and treatment of these disorders and improving access to interdisciplinary patient care. These disorders as they relate to orofacial pain include but are not limited to temporomandibular muscle and joint (TMJ) disorders, jaw movement disorders, neuropathic and neurovascular pain disorders, headache, and sleep disorders.
History of the Orofacial Pain Management
Orofacial Pain (OFP) is the specialty of dentistry that encompasses the diagnosis, management and treatment of pain disorders of the jaw, mouth, face and associated regions. The specialty of OFP is dedicated to the evidenced-based understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, etiology, prevention, and treatment of these disorders and improving access to interdisciplinary patient care. These disorders as they relate to orofacial pain include but are not limited to temporomandibular muscle and joint (TMJ) disorders, jaw movement disorders, neuropathic and neurovascular pain disorders, headache, and sleep disorders.
Multimodal Treatment
Modern Management of Pain
A new paradigm in pain management has been embraced.In the past pain was seen simply and incorrectly as an “on-off switch”. Patients were mainly prescribed “pills” and sent on their way, with the hope that these pills would somehow help. Nowadays our understanding of pain has dramatically progressed.
Pain should be treated in a multimodal fashion. “Pills” ( pharmacotherapy) are just one aspect of our treatment plan. An Orofacial Pain doctor will combine several forms of treatment in an effort to identify and relieve the true cause of your pain.
Pharmacotherapy, Lifestyle Change, Sleep Quality, Psychological Support, and Complementary therapy such as massage, meditation,yoga, are some of the treatments when used together can bring about a far superior and permanent outcome than medication alone.
“Pain is not a sensation… pain is an experience.”
Dr. Welden E. Bell
(a pioneer of orofacial pain science)
Orofacial Pain is a Common Problem
In the United States, one report estimated that 22% of the general population had experienced some form of facial pain at some point in the 6-month period before questioning. In the United Kingdom, 7% of the general population reported having some degree of chronic orofacial pain.
”Some people think that to be strong is to never feel pain. In reality, the strongest people are the ones who feel it, understand it, and accept it.”