Facial Pain Specialist in NYC: When to See One and What to Expect
Facial pain is easy to brush off at first. A sore jaw after a stressful week, a sharp twinge when you brush your teeth, an ache around the cheek that a dentist could not explain. When it keeps coming back, though, it starts to shape your day: what you eat, how you talk, whether you sleep.
Many people with ongoing face pain see a dentist, then an ENT, then their primary care doctor before anyone looks at the nerves and muscles behind it. A headache and facial pain specialist starts from that point.
What counts as facial pain?
Facial pain is any pain felt in the face, jaw, cheeks, forehead or around the eyes. The most common causes a headache specialist sees are:
Trigeminal neuralgia: sudden, severe, electric shock like pain along the trigeminal nerve, often set off by chewing, talking or a light touch. Read more about trigeminal neuralgia.
TMJ dysfunction (TMD): pain in the jaw joint and the chewing muscles, often with clicking, tightness and headaches at the temples. Read more about TMJ.
Atypical facial pain: a constant dull, aching or burning pain that is hard to pin down and does not follow one nerve. Read more about atypical facial pain.
Short stabbing headaches such as primary stabbing headache and SUNCT/SUNA, where brief attacks hit the face or around the eye.
Migraine and cluster headache, which can be felt mainly in the face, cheek or upper teeth.
Because these conditions overlap, the same pain can be labeled "a dental problem" by one doctor and "sinus" by another. Getting the diagnosis right is what makes treatment work.
When should you see a facial pain specialist?
Book a visit with a specialist if:
Your face or jaw pain has lasted more than a few weeks, or keeps returning
The pain comes in sudden shocks or stabs, especially when you eat, talk or touch your face
Dental work or sinus treatment did not stop the pain
Pain medicine from the pharmacy no longer helps, or you need it most days
The pain wakes you up or changes how you eat and speak
You have headaches together with jaw tightness or teeth grinding
If facial pain comes with weakness, numbness, vision changes, trouble speaking or a fever, seek urgent medical care first.
What to expect at your visit
A visit with Dr. Fred Cohen, a board certified headache medicine specialist affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital, usually includes:
A detailed history. Where the pain sits, how it feels, how long each attack lasts and what sets it off. Keeping a short headache log before the visit helps a lot.
A focused exam of the face, jaw, neck and the nerves that carry sensation from the face.
Imaging when needed, for example an MRI when nerve compression or another cause has to be ruled out.
A treatment plan built for you, often combining more than one approach.
Treatment options
Treatment depends on the cause. Options Dr. Cohen uses for facial pain include:
Medicines matched to the type of pain, including nerve pain medicines
Botox injections for TMJ pain and some nerve related facial pain
Trigeminal nerve blocks and sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blocks
Trigger point injections for tight jaw and neck muscles
Neuromodulation, lifestyle changes and coordination with your dentist when a bite or grinding problem is involved
Facial pain care in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens
Dr. Cohen sees patients at Headache Intervention offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens, plus a Jacksonville, Florida clinic. Telemedicine visits are available for patients in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida, with same day, evening and weekend appointments.
If face or jaw pain has been part of your life for too long, book a visit and get a clear answer on what is causing it.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of doctor treats facial pain?
A headache medicine specialist or neurologist with facial pain experience treats nerve and muscle related facial pain such as trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ related pain and atypical facial pain. Dentists and ENT doctors help rule out tooth and sinus causes.
Is facial pain always a dental problem?
No. Many people with ongoing facial pain have healthy teeth. Trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ dysfunction and atypical facial pain are common non dental causes.
Can migraine cause facial pain?
Yes. Migraine and cluster headache can be felt in the cheek, jaw, upper teeth or around the eye, which is why they are sometimes mistaken for sinus or dental pain.
Do I need a referral to see Dr. Cohen for facial pain?
Contact the office to check what your insurance plan needs. Appointments are available in person in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, and by telemedicine in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.
