DENTAL (symposium session): Sleep bruxism, orofacial pain and oral appliance therapy: controversies and clinical relevance
Tracks
Track 6
| Thursday, November 12, 2026 |
| 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM |
Details
Sleep bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and obstructive sleep apnoea frequently intersect, yet confusion persists regarding causation, risk and clinical relevance. Concerns about TMD and occlusal change remain a major barrier to referral for oral appliance therapy (OAT).
This 90-minute symposium critically examines the relationship between bruxism and OSA, evaluates the true risk of TMD with OAT and addresses common controversies in dental sleep medicine.
Through evidence-based presentations and structured panel discussion, this session will clarify misconceptions, distinguish transient adaptation from clinically significant dysfunction and provide practical guidance for multidisciplinary management. It is designed for sleep physicians, dentists, allied health professionals and researchers seeking balanced, data-driven insight.
Speaker
Dr. Mayoor Patel
Owner
Craniofacial Pain Center Of Georgia
Treatment of temporomandibular disorders and sleep bruxing in patients with OSA
3:45 PM - 4:10 PMBiography
**Dr. Mayoor Patel, DDS, MS** earned his DDS from the University of Tennessee in 1994, completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency, and received a Master of Science from Tufts University in Craniofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine in 2011. He is board certified in both Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine. Since 2003, he has limited his practice to TMJ disorders, headaches, orofacial pain, and sleep apnea. Dr. Patel is an internationally recognized educator, author, and speaker, serving on numerous professional organizations and contributing textbooks, book chapters, and consumer publications in his fields of expertise.
Dr Karen McCloy
Dentist
University of Sydney
Controversies in clinical practice
4:10 PM - 4:35 PMBiography
Karen finished dentistry at Qld University in 1984. She completed a M.S. at the Orofacial Pain Centre at Tufts in Boston in 2012 and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orofacial Pain. She has completed a M.S in sleep Medicine at Sydney University, a Ph.D on predicting vigilance in patients being tested for sleep apnoea, and has contributed material and teaches at Sydney University in the Masters of Science in Pain Management (orofacial pain).
Karri Field
Principal Physiotherapist
The Headache Neck and Jaw Clinic
A physiotherapist’s perspective: Multidisciplinary management of TMD in dental sleep medicine
4:35 PM - 5:00 PMBiography
Karri Field, MACP, is a Brisbane based titled APA pain physiotherapist with a special interest in helping people with chronic orofacial pain conditions. After graduating from Australian Catholic University with First Class Honours, Karri’s research work investigated how the bi-directional brain to body connections change in chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Medicine at University of Sydney with a focus on Orofacial Pain Management. For the last 12 years, Karri has combined lecturing and international presentations on interdisciplinary orofacial pain management with her clinical work at the Headache, Neck & Jaw Clinic.
Dr Krystel Skilton
Director And Dentist
Sleepwise Clinic
Chair: panel discussion / audience Q&A
5:00 PM - 5:15 PMBiography
