Dr. Henry A. Gremillion Memorial Symposium

Dr. Gremillion was a long-time faculty member at UFCD having joined the college in 1991 in the Department of Prosthodontics. He later served as on faculty in the Department of Orthodontics and was named director of the Parker E. Mahan Facial Pain Center in 1992. He became a full professor in 2005 was named the Parker E. Mahan Endowed Professor in Orofacial Pain in 2008.

Gremillion was a Louisiana native who graduated in 1977 from the LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry and became a leader in oral health at the local, state, and national levels. His many honors include LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry Alumnus of Year in 2001, the highest alumnus award, and the UF College of Dentistry Teacher of the Year in 2002 and 2007. A beloved educator, the Florida Dental Association honored him as the Florida Dental Educator of the Year in 2002 and 2006. He received the Louisiana Academy of General Dentistry Career Service Award in 2003. He was selected as a 2007 Distinguished Professor by the University of Florida Blue Key Society.

In 2008, the American Academy of General Dentistry honored Gremillion with the prestigious Theodore V. Weclew Award for contributions to the education of general dentists. In 2009, the Dawson Academy honored him with its Career Service Award. In 2010, he received the American Academy of Orofacial Pain Service Award and in 2015, the Pierre Fauchard Gold Medal. He was a member of the American Dental Association, Louisiana Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Fraternity, American Academy of Orofacial Pain, American Pain Society, International Association for the Study of Pain, American Equilibration Society, American Association for Dental Research and International Association for Dental Research.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Gary D. Klasser is associate professor in the Department  of Diagnostic Sciences at LSUSD. He obtained his dental degree from the University of Manitoba (Canada) in 1980. Over the next 22 years, he enjoyed the practice of general dentistry from both a public health and private practice perspective until he returned to graduate studies in 2002. In 2004, he completed his training and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Certificate in Orofacial Pain. In 2005, he completed a fellowship in Oral Medicine/Oral Oncology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). From 2005 – 2011, he was assistant professor and director of the Oral Medicine/Orofacial Pain Clinic at the College of Dentistry in the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Klasser has published in a number of peer-reviewed journals and has contributed chapters to various textbooks while serving as an editorial reviewer for a number journals. He is also co-editor of the sixth edition of Orofacial Pain: Guidelines for Assessment, Diagnosis, and Management, published by the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.

“I declare that neither I nor any member of my family has a financial arrangement or affiliation with any corporate organization offering financial support or grant monies for this continuing dental education program greater than $999, nor do I have a financial interest greater than $1,000 in any commercial product(s) I will discuss in the presentation.”

Description

On a daily basis, dentists are very efficient and effective in diagnosing and treating pains of odontogenic origin. Customarily, these pains are from two main sources: pulpal and periodontal origin. However, there are other types of pain that affect the oral environment. One of these is broadly categorized or classified as neuropathic pain. Despite the well intentions of the dentist, these types of pain are often poorly recognized, misdiagnosed and improperly treated with invasive but ineffective dental interventions. Ultimately, this leads to confusion for the dentist and frustration for the patient.

This evidence-based presentation will discuss the complexity of pain while specifically investigating those pains mediated by the trigeminal system. This will be followed by an examination into the pathophysiology associated within a dysfunctional/dysregulated nervous system which culminates in neuropathic pain. Individual neuropathic conditions in terms of diagnosis and management will be reviewed and discussed. Case reports will be presented to aid in the recognition, understanding, diagnosis and management of the various disorders associated with these nociplastic pain conditions.

Objectives

By attending this symposium, the participants will be better able to:

• Gain an understanding and appreciation regarding the complex nature of pain and its constructs and processes.
• The recognition and understanding of nociplastic/dysfunctional pain emphasizing the trigeminal nervous system.
• Diagnosis and management of various trigeminal mediated neuropathic pain conditions including neuropathy, neuralgia and neuritis.

Registration Information