Orofacial Pain & Oral Medicine · Los Angeles
Your Pain Has a Source. This Is Where You Find It.
You have seen the specialists. You have had the imaging.
The scans came back normal. The pain did not.
The Specialist
Dr. Sang H. Chung, DMD
Board Qualified Orofacial Pain Specialist
Most patients who find this practice have already seen five or more providers. Normal MRIs. Negative dental exams. Treatments that helped for a while, then stopped. Each provider was competent within their scope. The problem is that orofacial pain lives between specialties — and no one was looking at the whole picture.
This practice exists for one reason: to find the answer those providers could not. Joint, nerve, vascular, or idiopathic — the source determines everything that follows. You will not begin treatment until you have a diagnosis. The answer changes everything.
Education & Training
- Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Certification, University of Southern California
- Board Qualified Orofacial Pain Specialist
Professional Affiliations
American Academy of Orofacial Pain · American Board of Orofacial Pain · American Dental Association · California Dental Association
Why This Keeps Happening
The Pain Is Real. The Diagnosis Was Wrong.
You did everything right. You saw the specialists, did the imaging, followed the plans. The pain is still there. Not because you did something wrong — because no single provider was trained to look at the whole picture. Your pain lives between dentistry and neurology, and that gap is where it stayed.
Without someone who examines joint, nerve, vascular, and systemic contributors at the same time, treatment targets the wrong structure. That is why the splint helped, then stopped. That is why the medication worked, then stopped. The source was never found.
The Symptomatic Approach
- Treats the site of pain, not the source.
- Relies on serial prescriptions without identifying the cause.
- Symptoms return because the root cause was never identified.
The Diagnostic Approach
- Identifies the root cause before initiating any treatment.
- Integrates advanced imaging, neurophysiological testing, and clinical examination.
- Treatment is directed at the root cause — not the most recent symptom.
Scope of Practice
Conditions We Diagnose & Treat.
Temporomandibular Disorders
Intra-articular and muscular TMD — disc displacement, arthralgia, myofascial pain, degenerative joint disease.
Temporomandibular disorders are the most common cause of chronic orofacial pain. TMD encompasses a spectrum of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, the masticatory muscles, or both. Subtypes include disc displacement with reduction and without reduction, inflammatory arthralgia, osteoarthritis, and myofascial pain syndrome. Many patients present after years of dental treatments — occlusal adjustments, splints, extractions — that addressed symptoms without identifying the underlying joint or muscular pathology. We apply the DC/TMD diagnostic criteria to classify each subtype accurately before recommending a targeted treatment protocol.
Neuropathic Pain
Trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia, burning mouth syndrome, atypical odontalgia.
Neuropathic orofacial pain arises from dysfunction or injury to the trigeminal nerve system. Trigeminal neuralgia presents as intense, lancinating facial pain often triggered by light touch or chewing. Burning mouth syndrome produces a persistent burning sensation without visible mucosal changes. Atypical odontalgia — phantom tooth pain — leads patients to undergo unnecessary root canals and extractions. These conditions require neurological classification, not dental treatment. We use quantitative sensory testing, nerve block assessments, and MRI to differentiate neuropathic from non-neuropathic pain, which fundamentally changes the treatment trajectory.
Neurovascular & Tension-Type
Migraine with orofacial involvement, tension-type headache with referred craniofacial pain.
Neurovascular conditions — particularly migraine — frequently present with orofacial pain as a primary complaint, leading to misdiagnosis as TMD or dental pathology. Tension-type headache can produce referred pain to the temporalis, masseter, and periorbital regions that mimics jaw dysfunction. Differentiating neurovascular pain from musculoskeletal pain is critical because the treatment approaches differ substantially. Our diagnostic protocol includes headache classification, trigger identification, and assessment of central sensitization patterns to ensure the correct cause is identified before treatment begins.
Oral Medicine
Mucosal lesions, salivary gland disorders, taste disturbances, medication-induced oral complications.
Oral medicine encompasses the diagnosis and non-surgical management of mucosal diseases, salivary gland dysfunction, taste and smell disorders, and oral manifestations of systemic conditions. Patients with burning mouth syndrome, lichen planus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, or medication-induced xerostomia often cycle through dental providers without receiving an accurate diagnosis. These conditions require systematic evaluation of the mucosal tissues, salivary flow rates, and relevant laboratory studies. As a Board Qualified Orofacial Pain Specialist with training in Oral Medicine, Dr. Chung provides comprehensive assessment of both pain and non-pain oral conditions.
How You Get to the Answer
What Happens When You Walk In.
- Your pain mapped completely: where it starts, what triggers it, how it behaves, and when it began
- Every imaging study and provider note you bring — reviewed to identify what was missed
- Cranial nerve examination, jaw range-of-motion testing, and intraoral assessment
- Screening for contributing factors that influence how your pain is perceived
You Receive
A preliminary pain profile identifying the most likely diagnostic category
- On-site cone beam CT for high-resolution TMJ and craniofacial evaluation
- High-field MRI when nerve compression or joint pathology is suspected
- Quantitative sensory testing to map nerve pain patterns and identify the source
- Laboratory workup when systemic or inflammatory contributors are indicated
You Receive
Objective diagnostic data correlated with your clinical examination findings
- Classification using the International Classification of Orofacial Pain (ICOP) taxonomy
- DC/TMD diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorder subtyping
- Differentiation of musculoskeletal, neuropathic, neurovascular, and idiopathic causes
- Ruling out referred pain from non-orofacial sources
You Receive
A clear, specific diagnosis — the answer to why this started.
- Evidence-based pharmacologic management specific to the confirmed diagnosis
- Physical therapy or orofacial myofunctional therapy referrals when indicated
- Behavioral pain management integration for chronic pain modulation
- Coordinated referral to neurosurgery or other specialists only when warranted by diagnosis
You Receive
A written treatment plan with measurable milestones and follow-up schedule.
The Referral Loop
The Referral Loop Ends Here.
The average patient here has seen five or more providers. Months of appointments. Thousands of dollars. Irreversible dental work that addressed the wrong problem. We exist because that cycle should not be the cost of finding the right answer.
The Referral Chain
General dentist. Endodontist. Neurologist. ENT.
Pain management. Physical therapist. Psychologist.
Symptomatic relief at each stop. No unified diagnosis.
The Diagnostic Resolution
One specialist trained to answer the question no one else could.
All prior imaging reviewed. New diagnostics on day one.
A clear diagnosis — the root cause named — with a treatment plan to match.
Who This Is For
What You Get — and What You Will Not.
What We Offer
- A diagnosis — a real answer to what is causing your pain. Not another symptom label. Not "let's try this and see."
- The same classification system used by the International Association for the Study of Pain. Every diagnosis is mapped to a specific, targeted treatment pathway.
- A specialist whose entire career is built on one question: what is actually causing this?
- Direct communication. If our scope is not the correct match for your condition, we will state that — and refer you to the appropriate specialist.
What to Consider Before Reaching Out
- This takes time. The answer you have been looking for was not found in a single appointment before, and it will not be found in one here. Diagnostic accuracy requires a full workup.
- We do not perform surgery. If your diagnosis requires it, you will be referred directly to the appropriate surgical specialist.
- Our recommendations come from published evidence, not trends or guesswork. We will not promise you an outcome we cannot deliver.
- We ask you to participate actively in the diagnostic process — keeping pain diaries, attending follow-ups, and engaging with the diagnostic protocol. Diagnosis is collaborative.
If you have been through the referral chain and still do not have an answer, this intake is the next step. If we determine that another provider is a better fit for your condition, we will tell you directly — and tell you where to go.
Investment & Insurance
Fee Schedule.
Diagnostic Consultation
$450 — $650
Comprehensive 90-minute initial evaluation including clinical examination, imaging review, and preliminary diagnostic classification. Exact fee depends on the complexity of your condition and diagnostic imaging required.
Insurance & Reimbursement
- We provide detailed superbills for out-of-network insurance reimbursement.
- Many PPO plans partially cover specialist consultations.
- Our office can assist with pre-authorization when applicable.
- HSA and FSA funds may be applied to diagnostic services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions.
Clinical Intake Application
Begin Your Intake.
Dr. Chung reviews every submission personally. This intake helps us determine whether our diagnostic approach is the right fit for your condition. Your data is encrypted and stored per HIPAA regulations.
4-step clinical questionnaire
Pain profile, treatment history, expectations, and contact information.