Diagnosis of Overlapping Orofacial Pain Diseases & Disorders (Live)

Includes a Live Web Event on 10/07/2026 at 7:00 PM (CDT)

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Deriving an accurate diagnosis is the most critical and challenging step in managing orofacial pain (OFP). When overlapping conditions co-occur—such as TMD, primary headaches, and neuropathic pain—symptoms frequently mimic dental pathology, leading to misdiagnosis or inappropriate interventions. This webinar explores the clinical challenges of overlapping OFP disorders, the application of diagnostic taxonomies (e.g., ICOP & DC/TMD), and the role of diagnostic provocations, local anesthetic blocks, and advanced diagnostic imaging in disentangling complex presentations.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Understand the high prevalence of overlap between temporomandibular disorders (TMD), primary headaches, and neuropathic pain.
Identify key diagnostic pitfalls caused by terminology, non-operationalized criteria, and sensory abnormalities in overlapping OFP disorders.
Utilize provocation testing and diagnostic blocks to isolate specific pain generators in complex, multi-site orofacial pain presentations.
Formulate a structured differential diagnosis algorithm that accounts for peripheral drivers, central nervous system modulation, and comorbid conditions.

AAOP has designated this webinar for 1 continuing education credit.

Donald Nixdorf

DDS, MS

University of Minnesota

After graduating from the University of Alberta Faculty of Dentistry, Dr. Nixdorf completed hospital dentistry residency at, Anesthesia fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, Orofacial Pain fellowship at the University of Alberta, and a Master of Science in Clinic Research at the University of Minnesota. As a Diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology (NDBA) and the American Board of Orofacial Pain (ABOP), he maintains a specialty Orofacial Pain practice on the diagnoses and management of chronic TMD pain, headaches, and neuropathic pain within multi-disciplinary settings.

Dr. Nixdorf’s research has focused on the topics of non-odontogenic “tooth” pain from a classification, diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment perspectives, as well as TMD and most recently dental MRI, with over 85 published articles.

Dr. Nixdorf is Professor, Division Director, and past Graduate Program Director at the University of Minnesota in the Division of TMD & Orofacial Pain.