TMD and Orofacial Pain

Dr. Heidi C. Crow, DMD, MS

Program Director

E-mail:  hccrow@buffalo.edu

Oral Diagnostic Sciences

355 Squire Hall

Buffalo, NY  14214

Telephone: (716) 829-2241

Fax: (716) 829-3554

The Advanced Education Program in TMD & Orofacial Pain provides an opportunity to acquire clinical assessment and treatment skills for these disorders, within the context of graduate education that focuses on the acquisition of research skills and a scientific knowledge base. The program may be combined with the General Practice Residency for interested individuals who have graduated from accredited US or Canadian dental schools.  A 24-36 month graduate program that leads to an MS in Oral Sciences and a certificate in TMD & Orofacial Pain is also available.

The focus of the clinical program is to provide the resident with experience in managing a variety of orofacial pain conditions, focusing not only on the diagnosis and management, but also integrating care with the patient’s physical, behavioral, medical and psychosocial situations.

This educational area is not currently recognized by the American Dental Association as a dental specialty area.  Therefore, dentists graduating from this program cannot announce that they are specialists, as recognized by the American Dental Association.  However, this Advanced Certificate Program in Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain is recognized by New York State Education Department.

Program Goals

The principle goals of the TMD and Orofacial Pain Program are to prepare a graduate to:

1. Care for patients with TMD and other orofacial pain disorders. 
2. Understand the structural, biological and behavioral factors underlying pain in general and orofacial pain specifically.
3. Interact with other health care professionals in order to facilitate the patients' total health care.
4. Utilize critical thinking analysis and evidenced based care in treatment decisions and continuous quality improvement.
5. Conduct research in TMD, orofacial pain, or in a closely related field.
6. Teach clinical care of TMD & orofacial pain patients.

Program Admission

Requirements

• DDS, DMD, or equivalent
• For the combined General Practice Residency (GPR) and TMD & Orofacial Pain Program, an applicant must have graduated from a US or Canadian accredited dental school. Applicants must have either a New York State license or be eligible for a Limited Permit to practice dentistry. Information on obtaining a New York State dental license or limited permit is available at: http://www.op.nysed.gov/dentlic.htm
• International applicants must have a minimum TOEFL score of  213 computer-based and 550 paper-based

Application Deadlines

              Combined GPR and TMD & Orofacial Pain: November 1

              Combined MS and TMD & Orofacial Pain:  March 1

Application Procedure

              Submit the following to Dr. Heidi Crow, hccrow@buffalo.edu:

              Resume and letter of intent

              In addition:    

              Combined GPR and TMD & Orofacial Pain: GPR Application Procedure

              Combined MS and TMD & Orofacial Pain: Oral Sciences, MS 

Core Program Faculty

• Heidi C. Crow, DMD, MS, Associate Professor, Oral Diagnostic Sciences and Program Director, TMD & Orofacial Pain Program
• Yoly M. Gonzalez, DDS, MS, Assistant Professor, Oral Diagnostic Sciences
• Willard D. (Scott) McCall, Jr., PhD, Professor and Acting Chair, Oral Diagnostic Sciences
• Richard Ohrbach, DDS, PhD, Associate Professor, Oral Diagnostic Sciences

Adjunct Program Faculty

• Beverly Bishop, PhD, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
• John H. Campbell, DDS, MS, Associate Professor and Residency Director, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• R. Seiji Ohtake, Physical therapist, Clinical Instructor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences

Didactic Curriculum-First Year Fall Semester

OS 512: Research Design in the Oral Sciences, 2.0 credits

Course Director:  Dr. Willard McCall

*PGY 527: Neurophysiology, 4.0 credits

Course Director:  Dr. Beverly Bishop

*ODS 513: Bioelectrical measurements, 3.0 credits

Course Director: Dr. Willard McCall

ODS 560: Research Seminar in Pain, 1.0 credits

Course Director:  Dr. Richard Ohrbach

ODS 514: Anatomy and Physiology of the Masticatory System, 3.0 credits Course Director:  Dr. Yoly Gonzalez (offered every other year-may be taken second year fall semester)

*required for MS candidates, optional for nondegree candidates

Didactic Curriculum-First Year Spring Semester

OS 518: Statistical Methods in the Oral Sciences, 4.0 credits

Course director:  Dr. Elaine Davis

OS 502: Oral Sciences:  Physiology of Pain, 1.0 credits

Course Director:  Dr. Louis Goldberg

ODS 560: Research Seminar in Pain, 1.0 credits

Course Director:  Dr. Richard Ohrbach

*ODS 651: Research 4.0 credits

Course Director: varied

ODS 964: Clinical TMD Seminar and Practicum, 2.0 credits

Course Director:  Dr.  Richard Ohrbach (offered every other year, may be taken first year fall semester)

Didactic Curriculum-Second Year Fall and Spring Semesters

ODS 560: Research Seminar in Pain, 1.0 credit

Course Director:  Dr. Richard Ohrbach

*ODS 651: Research 4.0 to 6.0 credits

Course Director: varied

*ODS 653: Thesis Guidance 1.0 credit

Course Director: varied (spring semester only)

*required for MS candidates, optional for nondegree candidates

Clinical Curriculum: year-long

ODS 942 TMD-Orofacial Pain Clinic

Course Director:  Dr. Heidi C. Crow

ODS 940 TMD- Clinical Pain Seminar (Case Conference)

Course Director:  Dr. Heidi C. Crow

ODS 955: Teaching TMD and Orofacial Pain

Course Director:  Dr. Yoly Gonzalez

Clinical Rotations

Rotations to University-affiliated hospital departments or services are available on an individual basis.  Potential rotations included: Neurology, Anesthesiology, Otolaryngology, Rheumatology, Physical Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Chronic Pain.  Hospital-based residents are required to rotate on Anesthesiology, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Frequently asked questions

1. Does the program provide a stipend or tuition waiver? 
1. If a candidate is eligible for the combined General Practice Residency (GPR) and TMD & Orofacial Pain program (graduate of an accredited US or Canadian dental school), a stipend is available.  Courses are audited so that the resident is not charged tuition, however, all assignments for the course are required (tests, papers, etc.)
2. The combined MS in Oral Sciences and TMD & Orofacial Pain program does not have a stipend or tuition waiver available at this time.
2. Does successful completion of this program lead to a specialty in TMD & Orofacial Pain? This educational area is not one of the American Dental Association’s recognized dental specialty areas.  Therefore, dentists graduating from this program cannot announce that they are specialists, as recognized by the American Dental Association. 

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