Center for Orofacial Pain Research

Director
Richard Ohrbach, DDS, PhD

Our research group focuses on a number of intersecting questions, which revolve around pain, function, diagnosis, and classification.  Our research activities take place within three laboratories for primary data collection:  Neurosensory, Biomechanics, and Psychophysiology.  We also utilize a clinic setting for some of our studies.  We partner with multiple institutions in the U.S., as well as internationally, for larger scale projects.  The spectrum of chronic pain in general is an overarching perspective for our research activities that include determinants of motor behavior and its peripheral organization, diagnostic methods, disability and the biopsychosocial model of disease, instrument development, international studies, joint mechanics, longitudinal studies and taxonomic development.  We are active members of the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network.

Current projects

• Research Diagnostic Criteria: Reliability and Validity
• OPPERA: Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment
• Ontology for orofacial pain and pain-related disability
• Longitudinal changes in intra-articular TMJ disorders
• Pain related Functional Limitation and Disability
• Culture and the Expression of Pain
• Oral Parafunctional Behavior