This 12-month course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of basic pain neurophysiology and pain pathophysiology. This course provides the student with basic neurofunction of the peripheral and autonomic nervous system and how these systems influence the human pain experience. Central neuromechanisms and neuroplasticity are presented on the cellular level and the clinical significance is related to understanding masticatory and non-masticatory orofacial pain. The etiology and differential diagnosis of head and neck pain is emphasized. The student gains an appreciation for the orofacial pain dentist's role in the diagnosis and management complex orofacial pain problems.