Master in Orofacial Pain and TMD 2024/25

The Post Graduate Master Program in Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders, led by Prof. Daniele Manfredini, is designed to give participants a comprehensive understanding of the physiopathology, diagnosis, and clinical management of the various orofacial pain conditions. This includes disorders related to the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and jaw muscles. The program addresses a significant educational need that has arisen internationally, especially following the recent establishment of the Specialty in Orofacial Pain in the United States and the publication of the keypoints on good TMD practice on behalf of the orofacial pain network of the International Association for Dental Research.

This Master program aims to provide participants with the essential knowledge and skills, aligning with and expanding upon the educational framework of top-notch international courses. The objective is to establish a global educational network and to prepare participants to manage a wide range of patients.

ADVANTAGES

• Top Level Faculty, including many of the most qualified international experts
• Wide range of content spread across multiple educational modules presenting updated information
• Part-time master, designed for professionals who want to continue working while attending a university program
• Lectures scheduled online in live streaming sessions, averaging three afternoons per month
• Reduced tuition for practical activities at the Orofacial Pain Academy Residency Week (Summer or Winter School), with an entire week of patients seen live

The official language of the program is English. Students will be awarded a PostGraduate Master’s certificate issued by the University of Siena upon completion. The program spans 24 months, running approximately from April 2025 to March 2027.

The program is directed by Prof. Daniele Manfredini:

Prof. Daniele Manfredini
Clinica Odontoiatrica
Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche
Viale Bracci, Siena
Phone: 0577 233131
Email: daniele.manfredini@unisi.it

Online course

The upcoming edition of the Post Graduate Master Program in Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders will feature theoretical lessons conducted through live online streaming. This part-time program, known as an Executive Master in Italy, is specifically designed for professionals who wish to further their studies without the need to travel abroad for extended periods.

Key details:

• Duration: Two years
• Format: Approximately 30 online lessons conducted on weekdays
• Schedule: The calendar will be provided in advance

This flexible approach allows participants to balance their professional commitments with their studies.

Academic support

Faculty

Director
Prof. Daniele Manfredini
Director – Facial Pain Unit

Co-Director
Prof. Marco Ferrari
Director – School of Dentistry

Teachers (alphabetical order)

Enrico Albertini (Ferrara), Steven Bender (Texas A&M), Ian Boggero (Kentucky), Alessandro Bracci (Padova), Fabio Carboncini (Siena), Anna Colonna (Siena), Antoon De Laat (Leuven), Rob Delcanho (Perth), Marco Ferrari (Siena), Simone Grandini (Siena), Birgitta Haggman-Henrikson (Malmoe), Antonio Romero Garcia (Valencia), Barry Glassman (Florida), Chuck Greene (Chicago), Luca Guarda Nardini (Treviso), Gary Heir (Rutgers), Rich Hirschinger (UCLA), Sanjvan Kandasamy (Perth), Michail Koutris (Amsterdam), Frank Lobbezoo (Amsterdam), Daniele Manfredini (Siena), Rosario Marchese Ragona (Padova), Bob Mier (Florida), Matteo Pollis (Siena), Andrei Santa (Cluj), Alessio Scortechini (Siena), Dania Tamimi (Orlando), Davis Thomas (Rutgers), Matteo Tresoldi (Siena), Matteo Val (Siena)

Requirements, admission, pre-application:

Find a step-by-step procedure to understand the requirements and to pre-apply, click on the button below:

In this way we will receive your pre-application and we will be able to help you in case of need. It contains all the documents required to apply and also some additional info we also need from you.

Upon enrollment you will have to certify your access title. This step is mandatory and without a certified and comparable title the University of Siena will have to exclude you from the master. 

The steps, recapped

1. pre-application – https://dentalnecto.com/master-orofacial-pain-tmd-apply/
2. application and app fee (we will help you)
3. admission (the board will evaluate the applications and will accept or reject them in March/April)
4. enrollment (we will help you and you will need to pay the first instalment)
5. study
6. second instalment (After approx. 4/5 months)
7. study
8. final exam and certification

Dentalnecto will guarantee administrative and communication support with the university. We will also guarantee updates on teaching and will take care of communication and the technical part related to online lessons.

Please consider that you would need to be in Siena probably once in 2024 and once in 2025. So check the time and required papers for the visa in case you need it.

How much does the master’s program cost?

This master cost 8.000€ excl. taxes (virtual stamp duty 16€, VAT where applicable – depending also on your tax position and country).

1. At the application stage, you will have to pay a small deposit of 213€ to enable us to handle your application and to reserve a place on the master course.
2. When your application is accepted you have to transfer your first payment (tuition fees, first instalment + VAT, virtual stamp duty).
3. After 10/12 months you will pay the second instalment (tuition fees, second and last instalment + VAT, minus the application fee).

If for some reason you don’t have to pay VAT, of course, the figures will be slightly different.

Educational System in Italy

In Italy, we don’t differentiate as other Universities do abroad. We divide it in “Undergraduate” (requires 180 credits), “Graduate” (requires 120 credits), “Post Graduate” (PhDs) and “Specialising Masters and Continuing Education”.

Advanced Endodontics falls under the category of “University Masters”, meaning that at the end of the program you will have gained 120 university credits. The equivalent required for the foreign MSc. You will earn a I level university master. Second cycle QF-EHEA / level 7° EQF (European Qualification Framework) in Italy. You can check how it will be recognised abroad through the ENIC NARIC network or your Minsitry of Education.

The University Masters the University of Siena issues all abide by the directions and all are recognised as such by and throughout the European Union. If you aim at using the title outside the EU, we suggest you check with the local Embassy about its validity.

How our agreement with the university works

Dentalnecto has an agreement to co-organize the master’s program. We take care of looking for candidates through promotion agreements with external entities (e.g., Zerodonto). Then we collect the applications, and handle the submissions and all communications with students related to the admission stages. We also collect the fees, and when we have all of them, we pay the university the tuition portion (usually in two installments, the due dates of which are determined by the university). The rest you pay is to cover our support throughout 2 and more years (from application to the certificate), our services mentioned above and all the management of theory classes that take place online through our remote support and through software managed by us. This also includes video recordings of the meetings.
The figures disclosed on this site include everything, fees, services, and are total figures (include two years of courses).

Course Content

What You Are Going To Study

Dates and Topics

Module Semester I – 2025: TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS (Prof. Daniele Manfredini)

• Week 1
  • April 8, 14.00-16.00: History of TMDs – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • April 9, 14.00-17.00: Gnathological myth busters – Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu (Siena)
  • April 10, 14.00-16.00: The biopsychosocial model of TMDs – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • April 11, 14.00-16.00: The DC/TMD – Prof. Birgitta Haggmann-Henrikson (Malmö)
• Week 2
  • May 12, 14.00-16.00: Clinical Assessment – Dr. Ricardo Dias (Coimbra)
  • May 13, 14.00-15.00: Psychosocial Assessment – Dr. Matteo Pollis (Siena)
  • May 14, 14.00-15.00: Instrumental Assessment – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • May 15, 14.00-17.00: TMJ Imaging – Dr. Matteo Val (Siena)
• Week 3
  • June 9, 14.00-16.00: Fundamentals of treatment – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • June 10, 14.00-16.00: Cognitive-behavioral EMI-based approaches – Dr. Anna Colonna (Siena)
  • June 11, 14.00-16.00: Oral appliances – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • June 12, 14.00-16.00: Physiotherapy – Prof. Harry Von Piekartz (Osnabrück)
  • June 13, 14.00-16.00: TMJ Arthrocentesis – Dr. Luca Guarda Nardini (Treviso)
• Week 4
  • ONSITE ONLY – July 7, 9.00-17.00: Simulation of cases – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
• Week 5
  • July 15, 14.00-16.00: Major Surgery – Dr. Luca Guarda Nardini (Treviso)
  • July 16, 14.00-16.00: Orthodontics and the TMJ – Prof. Sanj Kandasamy (Perth)
  • July 17, 14.00-16.00: Prosthodontics and the TMJ – Dr. Carlo Poggio (Milano)
  • July 18, 14.00-15.00: The four pillars of TMDs – Dr. Charles Greene (Chicago)
  • July 23, 14.00-16.00: Journal Club – Dr. Andrei Santa (Cluj), Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu (Siena)

Module Semester II – 2025: BRUXISM AND SLEEP DISORDERS (Prof. Daniele Manfredini)

• Week 1
  • September 16, 14.00-16.00: General concepts on Bruxism – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • September 17, 14.00-16.00: Sleep Bruxism – Prof. Frank Lobbezoo (ACTA)* (speaker/date to be confirmed)
  • September 18, 14.00-16.00: Awake Bruxism – Dr. Laura Nykänen (Helsinki)
• Week 2
  • October 7, 14.00-16.00: Standardized Tool for the Assessment of Bruxism (STAB) – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • October 8, 14.00-16.00: Ecological Momentary Assessment – Dr. Alessandro Bracci (Padova)
  • October 9, 14.00-16.00: Polysomnography and Electromyography – Dr. Matteo Pollis (Siena)
• Week 3
  • November 4, 14.00-16.00: Management of Bruxism – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • November 5, 14.00-15.00: Botulinum toxin and bruxism – Dr. Matteo Val (Siena)
  • November 6, 14.00-16.00: Bruxism and Children – Dr. Claudia Restrepo (Medellin)
  • November 7, 14.00-16.00: Bruxism and Orthodontics – Dr. Anna Colonna (Siena)
• Week 4
  • December 1, 14.00-15.00: OSA – Prof. Rosario Marchese Ragona (Padova)
  • December 2, 14.00-16.00: Role of the dentist in sleep apnea management – Prof. Ramesh Balasubramaniam (Perth)
  • December 3, 14.00-16.00: Evaluation of tooth wear – Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu (Siena)
  • December 4, 14.00-17.00: Management of the worn dentition – Dr. Lukas Lassmann (Gdansk)
  • December 5, 14.00-15.00: Other sleep disorders – Dr. Matteo Pollis (Siena)
  • December 10, 14.00-16.00: Journal Club – Dr. Andrei Santa (Cluj), Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu (Siena)

Module Semester I – 2026: ANATOMY AND PAIN MECHANISMS (Dr. Matteo Val)

• Week 1
  • April 14, 14.00-16.00: Anatomy of the Temporomandibular Joint – Dr. Matteo Val (Siena)
  • April 15, 14.00-15.00: Anatomy of the Jaw Muscles – Dr. Matteo Val (Siena)
  • April 16, 14.00-16.00: Anatomy of the Cranial Nerves – Dr. Antonio Romero Garcia (Valencia)
  • April 17, 14.00-16.00: Principles of Dental Occlusion – Dr. Anna Colonna (Siena)
• Week 2
  • May 21, 14.00-16.00: Physiology of pain transmission – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
  • May 22, 14.00-15.00: Nociception vs neuropathy – Prof. Gary Heir (Rutgers)
  • June 17, 14.00-16.00: Journal Club – Dr. Andrei Santa (Cluj), Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu (Siena)

Module Semester II – 2026: OROFACIAL PAINS (Profs. Steven Bender, Texas A&M and Daniele Manfredini, Siena)

• Week 1
  • ONSITE/ONLINE July 6, 14.00-17.00: International Classification of Orofacial Pains – Dr. Alessio Scortechini (Siena)
  • ONSITE/ONLINE July 7, 9.00-13.00: Musculoskeletal Pains – Prof. Daniele Manfredini (Siena)
• Week 2(Guest Coordinator: Prof. Steven Bender – Texas A&M)
  • September 14: Triaging the Orofacial Pain Patient
  • September 15: Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • September 16: Neuropathic Pains
  • September 17: Headaches and neurovascular pains
  • September 18: Burning Mouth Syndrome
• Week 3(Coordinator: Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu, Siena)
  • October 13, 14.00-16.00: Endodontics and Pain – Dr. Marco Rossit (Siena)
  • October 14, 14.00-15.00: Basis of Pain Genetics – Dr. Janani Dakshinamoorthi (Chennai)
  • October 15, 14.00-15.00: Genetics of Orofacial Pain – Dr. Olga Korzceniewska (Rutgers)
  • October 16, 14.00-16.00: Medication-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw – Dr. Gayathri Subramaniam (Rutgers)
  • Week 4
    November 12, 14.00-17.00: Orofacial Pain and Systemic Conditions – Dr. Davis Thomas (Rutgers)
    November 13, 14.00-16.00: Pharmacology of Orofacial Pains – Dr. Robert Delcanho (Perth)
    December 2, 14.00-16.00: Journal Club – Dr. Andrei Santa (Cluj), Dr. Ovidiu Saracutu (Siena)
    ONSITE ONLY December 14, 9.00-17.00: Simulation of cases and recap – Prof. Daniele Manfredini, Dr. Alessio Scortechini, Dr. Matteo Val (Siena)
    
    Final module: THESIS PREPARATION
    April 2027: Thesis dissertation

Extra activities

Clinical practice at the OFP Academy Summer School (not mandatory and not included in OFP Master fees)

Clinical practice at the OFP Academy Winter School (not mandatory and not included in OFP Master fees)

Topics

• Introduction to the Master Course
• Anatomy of the TMJ and jaw muscles
• Anatomy of the cranial nerves
• Principles of occlusion
• Physiology of Pain
• Pain Mechanisms
• Basis of Pain Genetics
• Gentics of Orofacial Pain
• Journal Club
• Differential Diagnosis of Orofacial Pains
• International Classification of Orofacial Pain
• Endodontics and pain
• Musculoskeletal pains
• Neuropathic pains
• Journal Club
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Headaches and neurovascular pains
• OFP and systemic conditions
• Burning mouth syndrome
• Psychosocial assessment
• Guided discussion of clinical cases
• Journal Club
• The process of diagnostic thinking
• Simulation and discussion of clinical cases
• TMD guidelines
• History of TMD concepts
• Clinical assessment of TMDs: the DC/TMD and beyond
• TMJ Imaging
• Orthodontics and the TMJ
• The four pillars of TMDs
• Ecological Momentary Assessment and Intervention
• TMJ arthrocentesis Botulinum toxin
• Practical table: MRI reading
• Read and write the literature Journal Club
• Sleep Apnea: An introduction
• Role of the dentist in sleep apnea
• Mandibular advancement devices
• Bruxism part 1
• Bruxism part 2 Tooth wear management
• Pharmacology for OFP Case specific indications
• Practical table: PSG/EMG reading
• The process of diagnostic thinking
• Simulation and discussion of clinical cases