Dr. Hatfield earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Michigan in 2017 and completed the general practice residency (GPR) at Michigan Medicine in 2018. Following this, she was the first person to complete the TMD & Orofacial Pain Residency at Michigan Medicine in 2020. After residency, Dr. Hatfield joined the University of Michigan as a faculty member in Hospital Dentistry and TMD & Orofacial Pain, and in 2022 she became the program director for the TMD & Orofacial Pain Residency. Her clinical interests are in TMD & Orofacial Pain diagnosis and management, including temporomandibular joint disorders, headaches, and neuropathic pain disorders. She is expressly interested in furthering undergraduate and graduate education in this clinical area. Dr. Hatfield’s research interests are in innovative management strategies for orofacial pain disorders and inter-professional education and collaboration.

Trigeminal neuropathic pain disorders can be some of the most challenging for both patients and providers. This course aims to provide participants with clues into differentiating between the various trigeminal neuropathies, including various episodic and continuous neuropathic pains. Here, participants will explore the condition’s pathophysiology for a deeper understanding of the origin of this complex orofacial pain. It will emphasize the importance of timely symptom recognition, diagnosis, and working on a multidisciplinary team for the best outcomes. 

At the conclusion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the basic pathophysiology of neuropathic pains to understand the source of nerve dysfunction within trigeminal neuropathy
• Differentiate between various episodic and continuous neuropathic pain disorders
• Identify signs and symptoms of neuropathic pain disorders
• Identify when and to function on a multidisciplinary team for overall patient management
• Identify basic management strategies, including pharmacotherapy, for neuropathic pain disorders