C-TMD IMPACT News Archives

Join Dr. Anette Vistoso Monreal as she presents research on Orofacial Pain at 2026 IADR and AAOP

March 4, 2026

Event 1 2026 IADR – Orofacial Pain, Bruxism, and Sleep Apnea: Current Developments with Dr. Anette Vistoso Monreal Date: March 28, 2026 Session Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Location: San Diego, California Click here to register: https://www.iadr.org/2026iags Event 2 2026 American Academy of Orofacial Pain – The AI Edge: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Orofacial Pain Diagnosis with Dr. Anette Vistoso Monreal Date: May 3, 2026 Session Time: 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Orlando, Florida Click here to register: https://aaop.org/professional/

USC Ostrow Hosts CE Webinar on Data-Driven Advances in TMD Care

February 15, 2026

On February 28, 2026, the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC hosted a continuing education webinar titled “Transforming TMD Treatment Through Data-Driven Outcomes and Algorithmic Precision.” The virtual session featured Dr. Anette Vistoso Monreal and Dr. Glenn T. Clark, who explored new approaches to temporomandibular disorder care through large-scale patient-reported outcomes, digital health platforms, and precision medicine tools. Dr. Vistoso highlighted the NIH-supported BETTER-TMD initiative aimed at strengthening evidence-based treatment, while Dr. Clark introduced predictive modeling tools such as the Bayesian Additive Regression Tree Treatment Benefit Index to help clinicians personalize care and reduce treatment failures. The program provided practical insights into applying data-driven strategies to improve patient outcomes. Please click here for more info: https://ostrowonline.usc.edu/news/ce-webinar-transforming-tmd-treatment-through-data-driven-outcomes-and-algorithmic-precision/#:~:text=Dr.%20Vistoso%20will%20present%20the,efforts%20redefining%20evidence%2Dbased%20TMD%20care

USC Receives $4.3M Federal Grant to Advance TMD Treatment Research

January 25, 2026

On January 22, 2026, the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC announced a $4.3 million, five-year federal grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR/NIH) to expand research into temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The funding will support the Broader Evaluation of TMD Treatment Efficacy and Response (BETTER-TMD) project, part of the nationwide TMD IMPACT Collaborative, aimed at identifying which treatments work best for different types of patients and improving personalized care. The study will track up to 5,000 patients over time using clinical data and patient-reported outcomes captured through a custom app, with the goal of developing data-driven tools and AI-enabled algorithms to guide evidence-based treatment decisions. USC is one of three U.S. research teams in the initiative, which addresses the complexity of TMD and aims to close gaps in diagnosis and therapy. Please click here for more info: https://dentistry.usc.edu/new-federal-grant-to-help-researchers-explore-better-treatment-options-for-temporomandibular-disorders/

Project Funded Under the TMD IMPACT Collaborative

October 20, 2025

Broader Evaluation of TMD Treatment Efficacy and Response (BETTER TMD) Project Aims to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders Led by Principal Investigators Jianfu Chen and Glenn Clark, the Broader Evaluation of TMD Treatment Efficacy & Response (BETTER-TMD) project, part of the C-TMD IMPACT initiative, seeks to address the challenges of misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment decisions in temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The project’s goal is to predict which existing treatments are most effective for individual patients by considering both clinical and psychosocial factors. Using the custom MyDocNote app, researchers will collect real-world, patient-reported treatment outcomes and pair them with de-identified clinical data on signs, symptoms, and diagnoses. Building on preliminary studies from over 1,000 USC TMD-OFP clinic patients, the project will expand data collection to 19 sites nationwide—four university medical centers and fifteen private practices—aiming to gather information from up to 5,000 patients over five years. BETTER-TMD will establish common data elements, develop a large longitudinal database, and apply machine learning to enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalize treatment decisions. The resulting algorithms and datasets will be shared through the FaceBase Hub, paving the way for data-driven, real-time clinical decision support tools to improve TMD care.

C-TMD IMPACT successfully hosts their second retreat in Los Angeles, CA, on October 30, 2024

October 30, 2024

C-TMD IMPACT hosts another successful retreat at the USC Health Sciences Campus Conference Center on October 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. The Center for TMD IMproving PAtient-Centered Translational Research (C-TMD IMPACT) is a premier center for the development of innovative therapies for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). C-TMD IMPACT receives funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) with the mission to facilitate the design of pre-clinical and clinical studies addressing these unmet needs and shepherd new therapies for TMDs. The second retreat had experts from diverse fields who came together once again to build on the conversations from the previous retreat. They shared updates on their work and discussed their ongoing vision for advancing the knowledge and research of TMDs, fostering collaboration and continued progress in the field. The main focus of the discussion centered on shaping the future of TMD programs and exploring innovative strategies for their development. Some of the keynote speeches include Dr. Glenn Clark’s talk “Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders, Clinical Landscape and Needs in the Dental Setting”, Dr. Jeffrey Lotz’s talk “Deep phenotyping in Chronic Lower Back Pain and Applications to TMD Data Harmonization Efforts”, and Dr. Julie Olson’s talk “Utilizing patient samples from the TIRR for identifying biomarkers and discovering mechanisms of disease”. This retreat promoted lively discussions and illuminated the need to provide the best scientists and research to move the needle with the current state of TMD research. The retreat was an excellent continuation for experts and related parties to share their experience and knowledge about TMD, driven to improve the future of TMD research and patient care.

C-TMD IMPACT successfully hosts their first retreat in Pasadena, CA, on February 21, 2024

February 21, 2024

C-TMD IMPACT hosts a successful retreat at The Langham, Pasadena on February 21, 2024. The Center for TMD IMproving PAtient-Centered Translational Research (C-TMD IMPACT) is a premier center for the development of innovative therapies for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). C-TMD IMPACT receives funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) with the mission to facilitate the design of pre-clinical and clinical studies addressing these unmet needs and shepherd new therapies for TMDs. This retreat sparked excitement and hope as experts in different fields and patient advocates came together to share their work and their vision of improving the knowledge and research of TMDs. Some of the keynote speeches include Dr. Glenn Clark’s talk “Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders, Clinical Landscape and Needs in the Dental Setting”, Dr. Jeffrey Lotz’s talk “TMJ Imaging Approaches and Assays”, and patient advocates from the TMJ Association. This retreat promoted lively discussions and illuminated the need to provide the best scientists and research to move the needle with the current state of TMD research. The retreat was an excellent opportunity for experts and related parties to share their experience and knowledge about TMD, instilling fervor and hope to the future of TMD research and patient care.