Richard Ohrbach is a Professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo. Education includes DDS (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill), certificate in Pain Management (University of California, Los Angeles), PhD in Clinical Psychology (University at Buffalo), and a residency in Behavioral Medicine and post-doctoral fellowship in Behavioral Epidemiology (University of Washington).
He is a member of American Academy of Orofacial Pain, International Association for Dental Research, United States Association for the Study of Pain, and International Association for the Study of Pain. He is the past director of the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network, now named INfORM, and the past Chair of the Translations Committee. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences committee for temporomandibular disorders.
Research awards include an individual Physician Scientist Award from NIH and multiple U01 awards as part of multi-site research teams. One major research focus is diagnostic systems for TMD; he chaired two consensus workshops and participated in multiple closed workshops pertaining to orofacial pain diagnosis. He is a contributor to a chronic pain taxonomy and an orofacial pain taxonomy.

He has authored over 150 peer review publications, 32 books and book chapters, and over 100 research presentations. He is a statistics consultant for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and Journal of Behavioral Medicine, and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache.

Tara Renton (Specialist in Oral Surgery). She completed her dentistry at Guys (1984), Oral and Maxillofacial surgical training in Melbourne (1991), undertook a PhD in Trigeminal Nerve injury at KCL (1999-2003).

Currently there is insufficient evidence base for effective treatment for many OFP conditions resulting in multiple medical and surgical interventions failing on our patients rendering many with persistent pain. When a condition is termed idiopathic does that render that condition ‘refractory’ due to its non-responsive nature? ‘Refractory’ is a term loosely used in most of the orofacial pain literature. It is often used inter-changeably with persistent, resistant or intractable orofacial pain. What does the term refractory mean when applied chronic pain? The term ‘refractory pain’ is often used to refer patients for high risk and/or costly interventions otherwise unavailable to them. There are recent agreed criteria and definitions for resistant and refractory migraine and refractory Cluster headache. No other orofacial pain condition has these agreed published criteria for refractory pain. The insufficient evidence underpinning clear diagnostic criteria and proven treatments for many of the conditions we see also undermines the effective management of these conditions. In addition, we often fail to phenotype the patients pain sufficiently and or holistically endotype the patient, which thus undermining any clear relationship between supposed diagnosis and treatment outcomes. There may be many reasons for poor or non-response to treatment are many, however, the often over looked factors are; significant AXIS 2 issues, comorbid pain conditions, sleep disorders, medication overuse, medication sensitivity, lack of treatment compliance and using a multidisciplinary approach. Many patients also provide a diagnostic challenge due previous multiple medications and interventions masking the original pain phenotype. In future we may also look to assessing genetics and epigenetic and microbiome variants which will substantiate our patient endotype. By using a stratified holistic approach, we will optimise the patient’s pain management and provide the necessary evidence base for future improved care. However, there will always be some patients with pain that does not respond to conventional approaches, which we must acknowledge and define what other high risk and costly interventions may assist this group. and as a specialty we need to identify what approaches may benefit this group. Thus, there is a need for clearer definitions for Refractory states in Orofacial pain.

• Education programmes
UG teaching of dental students modern Oral Surgical. Pain and modern LA techniques.
Academic oral surgery training programme.
Supervised 8 PhDs

• Research
Collaboration with Imperial College, UCL, Oxford University, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology & Neurology Published over 200 peer reviewed articles Grants MRC and NIHR.

• Editorial
Associate editor for Journal Orofacial pain and headache, she is on the Dental Update and British Society for Dental Hygienists and Therapist Editorial Boards
Co-editor the BDA clinical manuals for Oral Surgery Books I and II and Editor of Nature pub OFP book (2021).

• Service
Leads Kings Health Partners Orofacial Pain Service Orofacial pain multidisciplinary service
Leads 2 patient facing websites Trigeminalnerve.org.uk and (www.orofacialpain.co.uk).

• Policy and Awards
Chair National patient safety for dentistry -prevention wrong site surgery in dentistry
Chair M3M patient care guidance for FDS RCS
Honorary AAOMS fellowship 2017
Noel Martin visiting Chair Sydney University 2018-
Steve Graff Radford Award American Headache Society 2020
Tara was an elected member RCS England FDS Board 2010-2019
Chair of Oral Surgery SAC
Invited member National Advisory Board for human factors in dentistry
Past President of the British Association Oral Surgery.

Jay P. Shah, MD is a physiatrist and clinical investigator in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. His interests include the pathophysiology of myofascial pain and the integration of physical medicine techniques with promising integrative approaches in the management of neuro-musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. He also completed the UCLA Medical Acupuncture course and a two-year Bravewell Fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.

Jay is a well-known lecturer on mechanisms of chronic pain, myofascial pain, acupuncture techniques and other related topics. He and his co-investigators have utilized novel microanalytical and ultrasound imaging techniques that have uncovered the unique biochemical milieu and viscoelastic properties of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) and surrounding soft tissue. Their studies have demonstrated objective, reproducible and quantifiable muscle tissue properties associated with MTrPs and the quantitative effects of dry needling of active MTrPs on these tissue properties, in addition to showing significant improvements in pain, range of motion and patient self-report outcomes in mental health and physical function. Jay was selected by the American Academy of Pain Management as the 2010 recipient of the Janet Travell Clinical Pain Management Award for excellence in clinical care and by the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists as the 2012 recipient of the David G. Simons Award for excellence in clinical research.

Dr. Quan is a Senior Physician in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the McGinnis Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine and has served as the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. His current research activities focus on the epidemiology of sleep and sleep disorders.

Dr. Janey Prodoehl is a Professor and Assistant Program Director in the Physical Therapy Program at Midwestern University Downers Grove, Illinois. She completed her entry level physical therapy degree in Leeds, England, an advanced Master of Science degree in physical therapy at Rosalind Franklin University, and doctoral and post-doctoral studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has over 30 years of experience as a physical therapist primarily in out-patient orthopedic settings and was certified as an orthopedic clinical specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

Her doctoral studies examined motor control in focal dystonia, and her post-doctoral work examined functional and structural neuroimaging in patients with movement problems. She sees patients in the Physical Therapy Institute at Midwestern University with a physical therapy practice focused on neck pain, orofacial pain, and headache, and dry needling for musculoskeletal dysfunction. Her research focus is to ask questions related to motor control that will lead to an improved understanding of musculoskeletal movement dysfunction, particularly as it relates to orofacial pain and postural dysfunction. Dr. Prodoehl has authored numerous publications from her work. She is a Certified Cervical & Temporomandibular Therapist by the Physical Therapy Board of Craniofacial & Cervical Therapeutics. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Physical Therapy Foundation.

Dr. Gary D. Klasser (Moderator) obtained his dental degree from the University of Manitoba (Canada) in 1980. Over the next 22 years, he enjoyed the practice of general dentistry from both a public health and private practice perspective until he returned to graduate studies in 2002. In 2004, he completed his training and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Certificate in Orofacial Pain. In 2005, he completed a fellowship in Oral Medicine/Oral Oncology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). From 2005 – 2011, he was an Assistant Professor and Director of the Oral Medicine/Orofacial Pain clinic at the College of Dentistry in the University of Illinois at Chicago.

He is currently a Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at Louisiana State University, School of Dentistry as well as the Director of the LSU Orofacial Pain Continuum. Dr. Klasser has published numerous peer reviewed scientific articles while contributing many chapters to various textbooks. He also serves as an associate editor or as an editorial reviewer for a number of journals. He is also co-editor of several textbooks related to oral and facial pain and is a Past-President of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.

Dr. Glenn Clark is a currently full Professor in the Division of Diagnostic Sciences at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and Assistant Dean of Distance Education. He is Director of the Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Center, Director of the Orofacial Pain 2-year conventional residency program and Director of the Master’s degree program in Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine. Dr. Clark began his research work focusing on both temporomandibular disorders and trigeminal motor function and dysfunction including bruxism, dystonia, and chronic myofascial pain disorders of the jaw system. In 1986 Dr. Clark’s expanded his research work to include studies on the diagnosis and treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This work has involved him as Principal Investigator on several National Institute for Dental Research grants.

Dr. Clark has written over 225 research articles, review papers, or chapters in textbooks. He has served as editor or co-editor of five books on Temporomandibular Problems and on Diagnostic and Surgical Arthroscopy. His most recent book is title Orofacial Pain: A guide to medications and management and is published by Wiley-Blackwell Inc. He has been granted membership as a Diplomat of the American Board of Orofacial Pain; he was voted alumnus of the Year of the UCLA School of Dentistry (1990). Dr. Clark was given the Pierre Robin Award for Academic Excellence (2001) by the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. In 2005 he was given a lifetime achievement award by the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.

Donald R. Tanenbaum, DDS, MPH, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978 and then received his DDS degree from Columbia University School of Dental Medicine, and his MPH degree from Columbia University School of Public Health in 1982. His continual training and ongoing education have enhanced his knowledge and helped him remain focused on providing the time and attention that these problems require. He has co-authored a book for the public entitled, ‘Dr, Why Does My Face Still Ache?” and continues to give lectures to dental students and residents, medical grand rounds and to numerous dental societies and study clubs.

Dr. Tanenbaum currently holds several prominent positions, including: Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Dental Medicine at the State University of New York in Stony Brook where he is the Director of the Orofacial Pain Course given to the third year dental students. He is also the Section Head of the Division of OrofacialPain/TMD/Sleep Medicine in the Northwell Health Department of Dental Medicine at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center; and Clinical Assistant Professor, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. Dr. Tanenbaum is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain and a past President of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.
Dr Tanenbaum currently maintains private practices in New York City and Long Island limited to the diagnosis and management of orofacial pain, temporomandibular problems and sleep related breathing disorders.