Diagnostic Triage
Find the Answer to Your Pain.
Chronic orofacial pain is not a single condition. It is a diagnostic category encompassing joint, nerve, muscle, or vascular causes — each requiring a fundamentally different treatment approach. Most patients who arrive at this practice have already been treated for the wrong condition. This page exists to prevent that.
Select the symptom profile that most closely describes your experience. You will be directed to the diagnostic pathway designed for your specific condition.
Symptom-to-Source Matrix
Pathway A — Acute Nerve Pain
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Symptom Profile
Sudden, electric-shock facial pain triggered by light touch, chewing, or wind. Pain confined to one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Episodes lasting seconds to minutes.
Source
Neuropathic — dysfunction or compression of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)
Pathway B — Chronic Pain
TMJ Disorders & Chronic Orofacial Pain
Symptom Profile
Persistent jaw pain, clicking, or locking. Pain that worsens with chewing or yawning. History of multiple providers, splints, or treatments without a confirmed diagnosis.
Source
Musculoskeletal, intra-articular, or mixed — involving the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, or both
Condition Reference Pages
Diagnostic Primacy.
Every pathway on this page leads to the same principle: finding the answer before treatment. Without a confirmed diagnosis, treatment is guesswork. With one, it becomes targeted intervention. That distinction is the reason this practice exists.
Dr. Sang H. Chung, DMD employs a structured diagnostic protocol that includes on-site CBCT imaging, quantitative sensory testing, and diagnosis using the ICOP diagnostic framework and DC/TMD criteria. Each evaluation is designed to identify the specific source driving your symptoms — not to treat symptoms in isolation.
This is not a general dental practice. It is a diagnostic specialty. Every patient who enters this office is evaluated with the same rigor: answer first, treatment second.
Not Sure Which Pathway?
If your symptoms do not fit neatly into one category — and for many chronic pain patients, they do not — complete our comprehensive intake questionnaire. Your responses will be reviewed by our clinical team to determine the most appropriate diagnostic pathway.
Complete the Intake Questionnaire →