Orofacial Pain Expert Dr. Jasjot Kaur Sahni Joins OMDS
Orofacial pain expert Dr. Jasjot Kaur Sahni has joined the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (OMDS) as a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor.
“I deal with Chronic Orofacial Pain including mainly TMD and neuropathic pain, on a daily basis,” she explained. “I’m also trained in Dental Sleep Medicine and Oral Medicine.”
Dr. Sahni also diagnoses and treats lesions, headaches, neuropathic pain, trigeminal neuropathy and neuralgia, myofascial pain, muscle pain, joint issues, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), burning mouth syndrome, dry mouth, bruxism, halitosis, and sleep disorders caused by craniofacial issues.
Her primary focus remains the treatment of Orofacial Pain. “In Chicago, I feel that there is a great need for a specialist in this field with my kind of training,” Dr. Sahni explained. “With other UIC faculty, our aim is to build a successful Orofacial Pain clinic within the Oral Medicine clinic, now called the Oral Medicine and Orofacial Pain Clinic. We’re adding an important component of orofacial pain treatment and offering services for patients who cannot get help elsewhere.”
“I’m seeing patients with the students and it is mainly a teaching clinic setup, so we have limitations sometimes,” she said. “I use conservative, reversible, and holistic treatments, and if needed, we refer the patients appropriately, to specialists including Oral Surgeons, Physical Therapists, Psychotherapists, Neurologists, Sleep Physicians, and Chronic Pain Physicians, when necessary. This multidisciplinary approach is the key in managing these complex pain patients. I always tell my patients that I am going to manage their pain and do not promise a cure to their conditions.”
Dr. Harvey Wigdor, Professor, OMDS, is Chief of the Oral Medicine and Orofacial Pain Clinic (see related article, page X).
Dr. Sahni earned her dental degree from India, and earned her certificate in Oral Medicine with an emphasis on Orofacial Pain at the University of Southern California. She was taught by well-reputed mentors in the field of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine.
She also is in private practice with Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Chicago. She previously had been with the Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Clinic at USC. She also taught DDS students during her residency at USC. Dr. Sahni earned a research grant from the American Association of Oral Medicine to study bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in cancer patients versus patients with osteoporosis.