The Sixth Annual Tufts Headache & Face Pain Symposium
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Continuing Education, in association with the Tufts Craniofacial Pain Center in Boston, Massachusetts, is pleased to join forces with the Tufts Medical Center Headache Program and The Boston Headache Institute to host:
THE SIXTH ANNUAL TUFTS HEADACHE & FACE PAIN SYMPOSIUM
Targeted at medical and dental professionals
Scheduled for Saturday, 28th October, and Sunday, 29th October 2023
Guided by Course Directors: Donavon Khosrow Aroni, DMD, MS; Alberto Malacarne, BDS, DMD; and Egilius L.H. Spierings, MD, PhD.
Headaches and facial pains are prevalent disorders that frequently intersect, leading to intricate clinical scenarios that pose a challenge in both diagnosis and management. While headaches are a routine concern in medical settings, facial pain is often a common issue in dental contexts. Regrettably, the potential headache accompanying facial pain is often overlooked in dental assessments, and the treatment of headache is typically insufficient in both medical and dental fields. There’s a tendency within dental practices to misdiagnose and overtreat facial pain as originating from dental issues, whereas medical professionals often misinterpret and excessively manage it as trigeminal neuralgia.
In the realm of dentistry, orofacial pain emerges as a nascent subspecialty, encompassing areas also covered by general medicine. This subspecialty addresses the intricate and often challenging painful conditions affecting the face, head, and neck regions, necessitating a collaborative approach across various specialties including primary care, pain management, neurology, dentistry, psychology, and otolaryngology. This two-day event will feature insights and expertise shared by distinguished professionals from these diverse medical disciplines.
The symposium aims to equip both dentists and physicians with enhanced understanding and capabilities to manage headache and facial pain, whether these conditions present independently or concurrently. The discussions will encompass an array of headache and facial pain conditions and their respective treatments, with a particular emphasis on the most frequently encountered issues, specifically temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and migraines.
The Tufts Craniofacial Pain Center, under the visionary clinical and academic guidance of Noshir R. Mehta, BDS, MDS, DMD, MS, has emerged as a trailblazer in the treatment of patients with headache and facial pain, gaining recognition as one of the preeminent centers worldwide.
Dr. Mehta has been instrumental in integrating the dental domain with broader medical fields, significantly elevating the standard of orofacial pain management. This advancement has been achieved through his initiative of assembling an elite team of practitioners from both the dental and medical fields, specializing in headache and facial pain management. A pivotal figure in this endeavor has been Egilius L.H. Spierings, MD, PhD, who played a crucial role in bridging the realms of medicine and dentistry.
The concept of this recurring annual symposium was originally envisioned by Dr. Spierings. Now in its sixth year, the symposium continues to honor his commitment as a clinician who devoted his career to managing headache and facial pain and was a part of the Tufts Craniofacial Pain Center for nearly ten years. Drs. Donavon Khosrow Aroni and Alberto Malacarne, both experts in dental orofacial pain, are proud protégés of Dr. Spierings, upholding his rich legacy through their adherence to his foundational principles: interdisciplinary cooperation, the application of scientific methodology, and continual knowledge acquisition through patient care experiences.
We extend a warm invitation to all dental and medical professionals with an interest in deepening their understanding of headache and facial pain to participate in this enlightening symposium. Attendees can expect a comprehensive introduction for newcomers to this medical field, alongside advanced learnings for seasoned practitioners. The symposium’s structure encourages interactive dialogues, ensuring participants gain fresh perspectives on the diverse issues discussed.
