  About
the Orofacial Pain Center
Dr. Margaret L. Dennis, was born and raised in Central
Florida. Her parents are retired public school teachers
and have been married for over 45 years. She is a lifelong
Girl Scout and has spent years leading and assisting with
many Girl Scout troops. After graduating from dental school
in 1987, Dr. Dennis set up a restorative dental practice,
Pablo Family Dentistry, in Jacksonville, Florida. During
this time, Dr. Dennis attended hundreds of hours of continuing
education. She has studied under great leaders in the dental
field such as Dr. Mark A. Piper, Dr. Peter Dawson, Dr.
Frank Spear, Dr. Jeffrey P. Okeson, Dr. Jack W Turbyfill
and Dr. Parker Mahan. Dr. Dennis has completed the entire
educational program at the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental
Studies and Piper Education Research Center in St. Petersburg,
Florida. She is currently a member of the American Dental
Association, The Northeast District Dental Association,
The Jacksonville Dental Society and The American Academy
of Orofacial Pain.
Facial pain diagnosis and management became a passion of
Dr. Dennis' in 1995 following an auto accident that left
her suffering with chronic pain and the inability to practice
restorative dentistry. In 1997, a close family member with
a history of chronic headaches turned to her for help.
After 15 years of restorative dentistry, she decided to
go back to school to further her education in facial pain
management. In 2003, Dr. Dennis completed a Fellowship
at The University of Kentucky Orofacial Pain Center, one
of only three degreed programs in the country. Her attention
has since been focused on offering diagnosis and treatment
of many kinds of facial pain.
The Orofacial Pain Center is a fee for service facility
dedicated to the medical treatment of acute
and chronic head and neck pain. This encompasses the
medical treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
and dysfunction, severe clenching and grinding, occlusal
discrepancies,myofascial pain, headaches, pain referred
: from other areas of the body, whiplashsyndrome including
facial pain and/or headaches, unusual pain in the face
or teeth, neuropathic pain, trigeminal neuralgia and sleep
apnea. Dr. Dennis is the only Orofacial Pain management
doctor to graduate from her program in the southeastern
United States. Dr. Dennis strongly believes that educating
and informing patients is of utmost importance.
Your first visit to The Orofacial Pain Center will include
a thorough examination by Dr. Dennis, herself. This visit
may last 2 to 3 hours. After the examination, further tests
may be ordered. A consultation appointment will follow
to discuss the diagnoses and recommended treatment options.
The initial approach to therapy is conservative and reversible.
No treatment that permanently alters the teeth is provided
at The Orofacial Pain Center. Therefore, if dental therapy
is indicated, the patient's dentist will be contacted for
advice on recommended treatment or referral. We offer bite
splint therapy at the Orofacial Pain Center. We also offer
physical therapy, massage therapy and myofascial release
treatment by a licensed massage therapist, if prescribed.
As a referral center, we offer consultation services to
physicians, dentists, physical therapists, massage therapists,
psychologists, pain management specialists, oral surgeons
and chiropractors. Dr. Dennis will be happy to discuss
and assist any doctors that have patients who are unresponsive
to routine therapies and/or modalities. She is available
for informal "lunch and learn" programs in your
office and more formal lectures should your professional
association be interested. Her specialized training is
particularly useful following trauma situations such as
automobile accidents.
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