The Orofacial Pain Clinic at the University of Kentucky was founded in 1977 for the purpose of helping patients suffering from various temporomandibular disorders. It was one of the first clinics in the USA dedicated to the management of facial pain disorders associated with dental and non-dental issues. Since that time, it has expanded into a multi-disciplinary clinic for the management of complex orofacial pain problems, including temporomandibular disorders and associated sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Patients are routinely evaluated by dentists, clinical psychologists, and physical therapists. Medical and dental specialists are called upon regularly to assist in the diagnosis and management of complex pain problems.
In 1997 the University of Kentucky Orofacial Pain Graduate Training Program was nationally accredited by the Post-Graduate Education Committee of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. The Kentucky program was the first to achieve this national accreditation. In 2011, the Orofacial Pain Program became nationally accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation which was the first year this status was offered. The Orofacial Pain Clinic has been providing graduate education in the areas of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain since 1985, as well as dental sleep medicine since 1995. Presently, the clinic offers three full-time graduate training programs and three part-time continuing education programs.
The overall goal of the orofacial pain graduate certificate program is to produce an excellently prepared orofacial pain clinician who can distinguish themselves either in private or academic practice. A brief description of the certificate program components are listed below:
The didactic component consists of the following five weekly seminars:
The didactic component also includes courses in oral medicine, dental sleep medicine, oral pathology, research design, epidemiology, weekly neurology grand rounds, and monthly dental grand rounds. Weekly topic seminars include dental and medical pain specialists in the areas of psychology, radiology, rheumatology, rehabilitative medicine, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, neurology, headache, oral medicine, addiction, dental sleep medicine, behavioral sleep medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and physical therapy.
The clinical component of the program consists of approximately 50 percent of a resident’s time clinically evaluating and managing orofacial pain, oral medicine, and sleep apnea patients. The program encourages a medical-biopsychosocial model for the diagnosis and management of orofacial pain rather than manual dental skills to alter dental structures. Emphasis is placed on establishing a proper diagnosis and management plan, including collaborations with appropriate medical specialists. Behavioral, pharmacologic, and physical therapies including injections and/or intraoral orthopedic appliances when appropriate are routinely used to manage orofacial pain patients.
All Orofacial Pain graduate students are required to research significant articles related to an approved topic and write a review article suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Students may also have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research efforts in the clinic, depending on the availability and type of research activity at the time. The Director of Research will determine the degree of research participation for students.
Candidates who are interested in the Master of Science Orofacial Pain Program will complete the admissions requirement for the two-year residency program. If accepted, the candidate can become eligible to extend into the Master of Science Degree Program. Adding the Master option typically adds an additional year, making it a three-year program.
The Master of Science Degree requires the successful completion of 30 credit hours of graduate courses in the College of Dentistry. In addition, the research component requires each Master of Science Degree candidate to complete a manuscript developed from original research in an area of orofacial pain, temporomandibular disorders, or sleep-related breathing disorders. The degree is awarded after successful completion of all course work, a public defense of the research, and submission of the manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal.
Our facility provides a quiet, private treatment area for patients with chronic orofacial pain and sleep-related breathing disorders. There are eight private rooms for patient evaluation and treatments. These rooms are large enough for the patient and his/her support members. There is a comfortable reception area, a station to record the patient’s vitals (blood pressure, heart rate, etc.), an area for standard radiographs, and a dental laboratory. There is also a large team room for patient discussions, case conferences, and seminars. In the team room, there is a station for each resident with his/her own private desk and computer. There is a 70-inch flat-screen TV used for presentations. This TV is also linked to two of the treatment rooms so that patient interviews and treatments can be viewed live and/or recorded in the team room. This facility is completely dedicated to the orofacial pain program.
Explore admissions requirements, application procedures, and program details for the Orofacial Pain Graduate Programs. Review deadlines, eligibility criteria, and instructions for submitting your application through ADEA PASS.
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The Cost of Attendance (COA) budgets represent the University of Kentucky’s (UK’s) best estimate of both institutional (directly billed) and non-institutional (variable and not billed by UK) costs, students will incur during the 2025-26 academic year and should help students budget their resources effectively.
Assistant Professor, Division Chief of Orofacial Pain, Program Director Orofacial Pain Graduate Program
imo226@uky.edu
Dean, Professor
okeson@uky.edu
Assistant Professor
ian.boggero@uky.edu
fya232@uky.edu
lgcu222@uky.edu
Micah.Dowling@uky.edu
Orofacial Pain Graduate Student
Catherine.Kimble@uky.edu
skha265@uky.edu
Sarah.Alyousef@uky.edu
Sumia.Alyousef@uky.edu
Rachel.Chacko@uky.edu
Nikhil.Manocha@uky.edu
The Orofacial Pain two-year program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). CODA is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.