Friday February 27th, 2026
Course Diagnosis and Classification of Temporomandibular Disorders (hr 14.00-18.00)
Lecturer Daniele Manfredini
Synopsis of the course
Temporomandibular Disorders have always been considered a complex group of diseases. The adoption of a medical model focused on biopsychosocial aspects represent the standard of care for the management of patients in the clinical setting. Nonetheless, there is the feeling that, even in the evidence-based era of abandon of the old occlusally-based complexities, current diagnostic and classification schemes are unnecessarily complicated and non user-friendly for clinicians. This course will show that the diagnosis and management of most TMD patients is relatively easy…if the clinician knows how to listen to the patient and how to fit the derived information within a management algorithm. As such, a simplified classification proposal aiming to ease the clinical approach to diagnosis and management as well as to attract non-expert practitioners to the fascinating world of TMDs will be provided.
Program
14.00 Welcome Talk – Moderators Anna Colonna and Alessandro Bracci
14.05 Temporomandibular Disorders: Key Points for standard of care management
14.30 The patient tells us the diagnosis… we just need to listen and know
16.00 Coffee Break
16.30 Current pitfalls of classification schemes
17.00 A patient-and treatment-oriented classification proposal
17.45 Q&A session
18.00 Conclusion
Saturday February 28th, 2026
Course Clinical Considerations of Orofacial Pain and the Non-Odontogenic Toothache (hr 9.30-17.30)
Lecturer Jeff Okeson
Synopsis of the Course
Differential diagnosis of orofacial pain is an extremely challenging aspect of the dental practice. The complexity of neural network involving the craniocervical region establishes an environment for much diagnostic confusion. Many conditions exist which may mimic masticatory and odontogenic pain. Appropriate treatment and/or referral are predicated upon accurate identification of these diseases, syndromes, and clinical conditions. This presentation will provide a review of current basic concepts of pain mechanisms, pathways, and referral pattern in the head and neck. Clinical presentations of conditions that commonly create diagnostic confusion will be discussed. A protocol for systematic evaluation, diagnostic testing, including diagnostic anesthesia, will be suggested. At the conclusion of this presentation, each participant should be able to understand common neuropathways that are responsible for orofacial pain as well as to recognize and differentiate common orofacial pain disorders that may clinically present as Temporomandibular Disorders.
Program
9.00 Welcome Talk – Moderator Daniele Manfredini
10.45 Coffee Break
11.15 Understanding referred pain, a critical concept for establishing the proper diagnosis.
12.30 Lunch Break
14.00 Differentiating Diagnosis and Classification of Orofacial Pain
15.15 Coffee Break
15.45 Differential Diagnosis and Management of the Non-Odontogenic Toothache
17.15 Questions and answers session
17.30 Conclusion
The Lecturers
Dr. Manfredini is Professor at the School of Dentistry, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy. He published over 350 papers indexed in Scopus (H-Index 65) and coordinated several international scientific dissemination projects on the topics of bruxism, TMDs, and orofacial pain. Dr. Manfredini is the Editor-in-Chief of CRANIO: The Journal of Craniomandibular and Sleep Practice, official journal of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.
Dr. Okeson is Professor and Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. He founded in the College’s Orofacial Pain Program in 1977. Dr. Okeson has more than 260 publications and addition to two major textbooks. Dr. Okeson is a very sought after lecturer on the subject of TMD and orofacial pain and has presented more than 1350 invited lectures on the topics in all 50 United States and in 61 different countries.
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