AAOP Podcast #11 with Dr. Schiffman: TMD Research, Patient Care, and Diagnostic Criteria

Dr. Eric Schiffman, DDS, MS, is a Professor and the Director of Clinical Research at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain. Dr. Schiffman has over 35 years of experience treating orofacial pain patients. He has received over $17 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has over 60 peer-reviewed publications, 12 book chapters and 3 patents – with another pending. He has lectured locally, nationally and internationally on topics pertaining to the prevalence, etiology, diagnosis, and management of patients with TMD and orofacial pain. Past research as a NIH study principal investigator includes developing and publishing validated Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) for the most common TMD - for use in both the clinical and research settings. Past research in TMD management includes assessing the long-term effectiveness, in patients with symptomatic TMJ closed lock with limited mouth opening, of medical management compared to comprehensive rehabilitation with and without TMJ surgery. He has also researched the longitudinal impact of TMJ intra-articular disorders on jaw pain, function and disability. In addition, in the NIH-funded National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), he assessed the management of TMD patients by dentists in their practices. He currently has a NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop and test a new version of the Restful Jaw device – a device attached to the dental chair that is designed to support the jaw during dental procedures including the surgical removal of third molars. Finally, he is a co-owner of the inter-disciplinary Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic where he manages TMD and orofacial pain patients in the Saint Paul location.

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