Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat They TreatProcedural ExpertiseTraining & CertificationFinding a Specialist
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What They Treat
Procedural Expertise
Training & Certification
Finding a Specialist
An orofacial pain specialist (OFP) is a dentist specializing in diagnosing and treating conditions that causepain in the jaw, face, head, and neck.These specialists focus on identifying causes of pain outside of the typical toothache. Orofacial pain specialists undergo additional training and must pass a board exam to be certified.
This article discusses orofacial pain specialists—who they are, what they do, their training, and their certification.
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Orofacial Pain Specialty
What Do They Treat?
In addition to pain, orofacial pain conditions can cause other symptoms, such as:
How to Stop Tooth Pain Fast
The International Classification of Orofacial Pain (ICOP)—the first internationally recognized system for classifying facial pain, established in 2020—recognizes six subgroups of facial pain, which are:
What Is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?
Orofacial pain specialists can also treat sleepbruxism(teeth grinding and clenching), which contributes to other sleep-related medical conditions such as:
Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)
Orofacial pain specialists use a variety of treatment interventions, some of which require additional training. Examples include:
Orofacial pain specialists also refer patients to other healthcare providers for complementary treatment, such as:
Training and Certification
According to the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP), orofacial pain specialists are licensed dentists who demonstrate expertise in diagnosing and treating orofacial pain through formal education, clinical experience, or research. In addition, one or more of the following standards must be met:
The American Academy of Orofacial PainThe AAOP is an organization that focuses on education, research, and excellence in care for orofacial pain.Members of the organization include dentists and other healthcare professionals who treat people with these conditions.
The American Academy of Orofacial Pain
The AAOP is an organization that focuses on education, research, and excellence in care for orofacial pain.Members of the organization include dentists and other healthcare professionals who treat people with these conditions.
Find an Orofacial Pain Specialist
Your dentist will often be the first provider to recognize that your orofacial pain is not a result of a tooth problem. If you have orofacial pain that your general dentist can’t treat, they might refer you to an orofacial pain specialist.
You can also search for providers using the AAOPmember directory.
Summary
An orofacial pain specialist is a licensed dentist specializing in diagnosing, managing, and treating disorders causing pain in the mouth, jaw, head, neck, and face. Although these conditions can cause tooth pain, the root cause of the disorder is not the teeth. Issues with muscles, nerves, ligaments, and bones in the face or surrounding areas can cause orofacial pain.
Orofacial pain specialists often work as part of an interdisciplinary team with other healthcare providers to treat these conditions. Treatments include prescribing medications, surgery, exercise instruction, mouth appliances (such as a mouth guard or splint), or injections of steroid medications or Botox.
Orofacial pain specialists require additional training and have the option of taking a licensing exam for certification.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orofacial Pain.Orofacial pain specialty.Heir GM.Orofacial pain, the 12th specialty: the necessity.The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2020;151(7):469-471. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2020.05.002American Dental Education Association.Orofacial pain.Ziegeler C, Beikler T, Gosau M, et al.Idiopathic facial pain syndromes.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021;118(6):81-87. doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0006Lobbezoo F, Lavigne GJ, Kato T, et al.The face of dental sleep medicine in the 21st century.J Oral Rehabil. 2020;47(12):1579-1589. doi:10.1111/joor.13075Johns Hopkins Medicine.Temporomadibular disorder (TMD).Massachusetts General Hospital.Orofacial pain.American Academy of Orofacial Pain.The american academy of orofacial pain.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orofacial Pain.Orofacial pain specialty.Heir GM.Orofacial pain, the 12th specialty: the necessity.The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2020;151(7):469-471. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2020.05.002American Dental Education Association.Orofacial pain.Ziegeler C, Beikler T, Gosau M, et al.Idiopathic facial pain syndromes.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021;118(6):81-87. doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0006Lobbezoo F, Lavigne GJ, Kato T, et al.The face of dental sleep medicine in the 21st century.J Oral Rehabil. 2020;47(12):1579-1589. doi:10.1111/joor.13075Johns Hopkins Medicine.Temporomadibular disorder (TMD).Massachusetts General Hospital.Orofacial pain.American Academy of Orofacial Pain.The american academy of orofacial pain.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Orofacial Pain.Orofacial pain specialty.Heir GM.Orofacial pain, the 12th specialty: the necessity.The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2020;151(7):469-471. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2020.05.002American Dental Education Association.Orofacial pain.Ziegeler C, Beikler T, Gosau M, et al.Idiopathic facial pain syndromes.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021;118(6):81-87. doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0006Lobbezoo F, Lavigne GJ, Kato T, et al.The face of dental sleep medicine in the 21st century.J Oral Rehabil. 2020;47(12):1579-1589. doi:10.1111/joor.13075Johns Hopkins Medicine.Temporomadibular disorder (TMD).Massachusetts General Hospital.Orofacial pain.American Academy of Orofacial Pain.The american academy of orofacial pain.
American Academy of Orofacial Pain.Orofacial pain specialty.
Heir GM.Orofacial pain, the 12th specialty: the necessity.The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2020;151(7):469-471. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2020.05.002
American Dental Education Association.Orofacial pain.
Ziegeler C, Beikler T, Gosau M, et al.Idiopathic facial pain syndromes.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021;118(6):81-87. doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0006
Lobbezoo F, Lavigne GJ, Kato T, et al.The face of dental sleep medicine in the 21st century.J Oral Rehabil. 2020;47(12):1579-1589. doi:10.1111/joor.13075
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Temporomadibular disorder (TMD).
Massachusetts General Hospital.Orofacial pain.
American Academy of Orofacial Pain.The american academy of orofacial pain.
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