Bell's Oral and Facial Pain (Formerly Bell's Orofacial Pain)

Pain, especially chronic pain, is a major health care problem, a fact that has precipitated a recent dramatic expansion in pain-related research efforts. This revised edition of Dr Welden Bell's classic text has been updated to incorporate the latest findings from these studies, including advanced understanding of the neurophysiology and central processing of pain and the resulting changes to diagnostic, classification, and treatment guidelines. To assist clinicians in the difficult and often complicated task of managing patients suffering from oral and facial pain, this textbook provides documented information concerning pain and pain behavior so that one may better understand what pain is, how it behaves, and how it might best be managed; develops a useful classification of orofacial pain disorders; offers practical diagnostic criteria by which the different orofacial pain disorders can be identified on a clinical level; and suggests guidelines for the effective management of patients who suffer from pain in the region of the mouth and face. The concepts and techniques discussed are supplemented with case reports as well as new, full-color photographs and illustrations to help the clinician better understand orofacial pain disorders and how to treat them effectively.

Dr. Jeffrey P Okeson has dedicated his career to educating students, residents and clinicians in the areas of occlusion, temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain. He has been a full time faculty member at the University of Kentucky for 45 years. He is recognized worldwide as an authority in the field of TMD and orofacial pain, lecturing in every state in the USA and 58 different foreign countries. His textbooks have been translated into eleven different foreign languages and have become a standard for teaching throughout the world. His peers have called him the 'World Ambassador for Orofacial pain'. He is a highly sought after speaker and has given more than 1300 invited lectures throughout the world. He has received numerous awards, honors and recognitions for his outstanding teaching and educational abilities. Some of these awards include the campus wide University of Kentucky 'Great Teacher Award', the Provost's Distinguished Service Professorship, the American Academy of Orofacial Pain's Service Award and the first ever 'Distinguished Alumni Award' from the College of Dentistry. In addition, he received the State of Kentucky Acorn Award for the best professor in the state and was inducted into the University of Kentucky Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Dr. Okeson has also received 'The International Dentist of the Year Award' from the Academy of Dentistry International. This is the highest award recognized by this Academy and was given to him in recognition of his worldwide efforts in providing education in the area of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain. In addition to his two textbooks, he has more then 240 publications in scientific journals. He is director of the Orofacial Pain Center at the University of Kentucky which he founded in 1977.  He has developed several full-time teaching programs associated with the Center. The Master of Science Degree program he established was the first in the United States to be accredited by the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. The Orofacial Pain Residency Program was one of the very first to be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. This program has graduated 60 full time residents from 26 different countries. He is active in many national and international organizations and is past president of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. He is also a founding diplomate and twice past president of the American Board of Orofacial Pain. Dr. Okeson is a captivating lecturer with a teaching style that is engaging, logical and based on the available science. He is one of the few individuals in the world capable of bringing all these subjects together into one lecture series.