Continuum Directors

A. Dale Ehrlich, MS, DDS, MAGD, Diplomate ABOP
Dr. Ehrlich is chairman of the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials at LSU School of Dentistry and a retired Captain in the Dental Corps, US Navy. He earned his DDS at Indiana University and completed a fellowship in orofacial pain at the University of Florida Craniofacial Pain Center. At the Naval Postgraduate Dental School, Dr. Ehrlich established the Orofacial Pain Postgraduate Program for the Navy Dental Corps and served as the first specialty leader for temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain. Dr. Ehrlich is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain and a Diplomate of the American Board of General Dentistry. 

LSU's Commitment to Orofacial Pain Education

Orofacial pain often has a devastating impact on a patient’s quality of life. Some surveys estimate that 22 percent of Americans over 18 years of age commonly report pain in the orofacial region. When headache is included, the incidence of orofacial pain is much higher. In response to the high incidence of orofacial pain, LSU School of Dentistry has committed significant resources to recruiting educators who can provide patient care, as well as instruct students in the field of orofacial pain.


Whether you are driven by a passion to better help your patients or you are working towards a fellowship and need CE credit hours, you should consider LSU’s Orofacial Pain Continuum. This is a comprehensive, one-year, five-weekend, interactive orofacial pain CE program for dentists and other health care practitioners who have a desire to better recognize, evaluate, diagnose, manage and refer patients who have TMD, sleep disorders, and other types of orofacial pain. All sessions of the continuum feature renowned guest lecturers.


The next step on your educational journey awaits!

Dr. Klasser offering guidance to participants in the clinical anatomy session

LSU Orofacial Pain Continuum™ in New Orleans

About Us

Christopher J. Spencer, DDS, Cert. Orofacial Pain
Dr. Spencer is a professor at LSU School of Dentistry’s Department of Diagnostic Sciences. He earned his DDS from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Following many years of private dental practice in California, Dr. Spencer completed a two year fellowship in orofacial pain at the University of Florida Parker E. Mahan Facial Pain Center and became clinical director of the Pain Center. Currently, Dr. Spencer trains both predoctoral and postdoctoral students in diagnosis and treatment planning of orofacial pain and writes articles to help educate health care professionals about the reality of facial pain in our patient populations.

Gary D. Klasser, DMD, Cert. Orofacial Pain
Dr. Gary D. Klasser obtained his dental degree from the University of Manitoba (Canada). He also obtained a certificate in orofacial pain from the University of Kentucky and completed a fellowship in Oral Medicine/Oral Oncology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Klasser is a professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at Louisiana State University, School of Dentistry. He has published numerous peer reviewed scientific articles, as well as contributing many chapters to various textbooks and serves as an associate editor/editorial reviewer for a number of journals. He is also co-editor of several textbooks related to oral and facial pain and is a Past-President of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.

Ronald C. Auvenshine, DDS, PhD, Diplomate ABOP
Dr. Auvenshine lectures nationally and internationally in the fields of TMD and orofacial pain. He earned his DDS from Emory University School of Dentistry and PhD in Human Anatomy from LSU Medical School. Dr. Auvenshine is Founder & Director of the Orofacial Pain Clinic at DeBakey V.A. Hospital in Houston, adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, and visiting full-professor at LSU School of Dentistry. He served as President of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, was a founding member of the American Board of Orofacial Pain, and served on the editorial board of the Journal of the Texas Dental Association.