Misdiagnosed and Overtreated: The Hidden Face of Orofacial Pain
Includes a Live Web Event on 03/25/2026 at 7:00 PM (CDT)
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Non-odontogenic orofacial pain remains one of the most challenging and frequently mismanaged conditions in clinical practice. Patients often undergo multiple irreversible dental procedures despite normal findings, while the true pain mechanism, neuropathic, centralized, autonomic, or headache-related remains unrecognized. This lecture examines the diagnostic and therapeutic pitfalls that drive treatment failure and patient frustration. Through a mechanism-based framework grounded in the International Classification of Orofacial Pain, attendees will explore how central sensitization, trigeminal autonomic interactions, and overlapping phenotypes complicate clinical decision-making. Evidence-based pharmacologic strategies, interventional considerations including sphenopalatine ganglion block will be critically evaluated. Real-world case reports will illustrate how precise pain classification can redirect care and prevent unnecessary procedures. This session is designed for clinicians seeking greater diagnostic confidence, clearer therapeutic algorithms, and a deeper understanding of why conventional approaches often fail in non-odontogenic pain management.
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate odontogenic from non-odontogenic orofacial pain using specific clinical findings and diagnostic criteria.
- Identify and categorize key mechanisms contributing to treatment-resistant non-odontogenic pain, including neuropathic, centralized, and trigeminal–autonomic processes.
- Formulate a mechanism-based management plan for non-odontogenic orofacial pain that aligns treatment strategies with the patient’s pain phenotype.
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The American Academy of Orofacial Pain is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, not does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
AAOP has designated this webinar for 1 continuing education credit.
Chinmayee Patil
Dr. Chinmayee Patil is a first-generation dentist from India whose path reflects a blend of academic commitment and athletic discipline, deeply shaped by the unwavering support and values instilled by her parents. Among the many recognitions she received early in life, the one that shaped her most was becoming one of the youngest archers to win a medal at a state-level championship. The sport taught her discipline, focus, and resilience qualities that continue to guide her professional journey in the specialized field of Orofacial Pain at the University of Southern California.
Orofacial Pain is a field that uniquely bridges dentistry and medicine. During her training, Dr. Patil has contributed to multiple academic publications and remains passionate about advancing awareness, improving diagnosis, and expanding global accessibility to care for patients with orofacial pain conditions.
Areeg Elmusrati
Dr. Areeg Elmusrati is a clinician-scientist with extensive training in oral pathology, cancer biology, and pain management. She is currently a senior Clinical Resident in the Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Center at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California. After earning her dental degree at the University of Tripoli, Libya, she completed advanced training in Diagnostic Oral Pathology at the University of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom, where she earned a Master of Medical Science and PhD with honors. She then advanced her research training as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received her first NIH grant. Her scholarly work, with over 460 citations, has been widely recognized through awards and invited presentations at national and international conferences, positioning her as an emerging voice at the intersection of research, clinical care, and education. At USC, she integrates her background in pathology and translational cancer research with clinical care in orofacial pain, advancing interdisciplinary approaches to the diagnosis and management of complex craniofacial disorders.
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