Orofacial Pain Management
Pain relief starts with answers and with being heard.
Our board-certified orofacial pain specialists take the time to listen and pinpoint the cause of your chronic facial pain, jaw discomfort, or unexplained headaches, then treat it at the source so you can get back to living comfortably and feeling well.
When Pain Persists: You Need Answers, Not Guesswork
If you’re living with constant jaw or facial pain, finding the right diagnosis is the first step toward feeling like yourself again.
Whether it’s stubborn TMJ discomfort, nerve sensitivity, or ongoing tension headaches with no apparent cause, we are here to listen and help.
Our team of orofacial pain specialists offers compassion, understanding, and expert-guided care for pain affecting the jaw, mouth, face, and neck.
Using innovative diagnostics and a patient-centered approach, we work to uncover the true source of your pain and create a personalized plan for real, lasting relief.
Uncovering the Source of Your Facial Pain
Orofacial pain isn’t always caused by the teeth or jaw alone. It can come from muscles, joints, nerves, or even the neck and shoulders. Various nervous system dysfunctions, diseases, and disorders can also cause oral and facial pain.
Because the source isn’t always obvious, the fear, anxiety, and stress of ongoing pain can make your symptoms feel even more overwhelming.
Facial Pain Causes
- TMJ disorders and dysfunction of the muscles or discs in the jaw joint
- Neuropathic issues like trigeminal neuralgia or postherpetic nerve pain
- Jaw tension, clenching, or teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Sleep apnea and sleep disorders
- Autoimmune or inflammatory conditions like arthritis
- Facial trauma or injury
Symptoms
- Jaw stiffness, clenching, locking, or clicking/popping noises
- Sharp, electric, or burning facial pain
- Headaches, earaches, and neck or shoulder tension
- Pain or difficulty chewing, opening, or moving the jaw
- Facial numbness, tingling, or unexplained tooth pain
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus)
Risks
If untreated, orofacial pain can:
- Become chronic and harder to manage
- Erode your quality of life by impacting sleep, eating, speaking, and more
- Lead to unnecessary dental procedures or untreated nerve damage
Relief Starts With the Right Plan
At Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery, your care plan is as individual as you are. It’s thoughtfully developed around your specific symptoms, needs, and goals.
Our orofacial pain specialists begin with the least invasive options, including home therapies, medications, custom oral appliances, physical therapy, and targeted injections.
When your condition requires additional expertise, we collaborate closely with our oral surgeons and other specialists to ensure comprehensive, coordinated care.
Our goal is simple: to relieve your pain at the source, not just mask it with a temporary fix.
A Team Approach to Complex Pain
Our board-certified orofacial pain specialists have advanced training in both dentistry and pain medicine, giving them a complete understanding of how the joints, muscles, teeth, and nerves work together. Their expertise allows them to accurately evaluate and diagnose complex pain conditions and provide a full range of treatments to manage them effectively.
They collaborate closely with our oral and maxillofacial surgeons, combining diagnostic insight with surgical care when needed.
Their shared goal is simple: to care for you and address the source of your pain with targeted, evidence-based treatments that move you closer to lasting relief.
Why Choose CCOFS?
Our multidisciplinary team is focused on answers, not just quick fixes, and our reputation is built on compassion, precision, and results.
We work with you, patient to specialist and person to person, to develop a treatment plan that truly fits your life. Whether your solution is as simple as a custom appliance or as complex as a surgical approach, you can feel confident knowing it all happens here, in one place, with a caring team dedicated to seeing you through every step.
Three Simple Steps to Relief
Consult & Discovery
At Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery, our orofacial pain specialists start by listening deeply to you. We take the time to learn about your history and symptoms, and we use careful exams and detailed imaging to understand why you hurt and how we can help.
Diagnosis & Plan
We bring together everything we’ve learned from your consultation and evaluation to build a personalized plan with you that may include therapy, appliances, Botox, medications, or if needed, partnership with our surgical team or other specialists.
Treatment & Support
Once your plan is in motion, we stay by your side through every step of care. We’ll monitor your progress closely and if your symptoms change, we fine-tune your treatment to keep you moving forward. We walk alongside you with concern and support, checking in, adjusting care, and celebrating progress as you regain comfort and confidence in your daily life.
Orofacial Treatment FAQs
Orofacial pain management may come with many questions. Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions our patients ask about procedures, recovery, and what to expect.