Facial Pain & Modalities Of Pain: The Relation To Sleep
CE Credit:2 Hr
Course Summary
The last five decades have seen outstanding research in pain medicine and explosive research in sleep medicine. Sleep and pain are integrally related to each other in a bi-directional relationship. Simply stated, whatever affects pain, affects sleep, and vice versa. The brain centers, neural networks, and neurotransmitters of sleep and pain have numerous factors in common. Any medication or other management modality on one, invariably affects the other entity. Currently, the guidelines for a possible evaluation of one based on the other are non-existent or ambiguous, primarily due to lack of consensus and co-ordination amongst various organizations related to both fields. The field of orofacial pain is not much different either. This presentation is meant to summarize in the most possible concise way, the inter-relationship between orofacial pain and sleep, and their applications in the orofacial pain practice.
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives
To have a good basic understanding of sleep-pain interactions.
To have an overview of the latest literature in sleep-pain relationships.
To enumerate the possible applications of these interactions in an orofacial pain practice.
To point out possible future prospects of clinical and research features of these interactions.
Featuring
Dr. Davis Thomas
Dr. Davis Thomas completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from India. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and one year of Advanced Education in General Dentistry from NYU. While in private practice, he then went on to further his education in the following twenty years to include multiple master’s degrees including orofacial pain (Rutgers University), headache pain management (University of Edinburgh), and sleep medicine (University of Sydney). As an assistant clinical professor (12 years), Dr. Thomas now continues his research in Pain Management at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. The experience and education Dr. Thomas has acquired over the years has allowed him to lecture extensively all around the world. He has been a commissioned officer in the United Sates Army since 2001. He also has multiple faculty appointments in national and international hospitals and universities. Currently, he is the director for OFP/TMD/Sleep medicine courses for Roseman University/Smile USA Academy.