Raising the Standard of Care: What Advanced Credentials in Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine Mean for Patients

Multidisciplinary expertise and professional designations—such as Fellowship in the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) and leadership within the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM)—signify a provider who has achieved advanced training, peer-recognized excellence, and a commitment to evidence-based, interdisciplinary care. These credentials reflect deep understanding of how the jaw, muscles, nerves, and airway function together, allowing for more accurate diagnoses and comprehensive treatment. For patients, this means care that addresses not just TMJ disorders but related issues like headaches, bruxism, neck pain, and sleep apnea, using objective, data-driven tools and collaborative medical insight to deliver safer, more effective, and longer-lasting results.

Dr. Katherine S. Phillips of Restore TMJ & Sleep Therapy in The Woodlands is a seasoned clinician with over a decade of specialized experience treating TMJ disorders, facial pain, sleep-disordered breathing, and related conditions. Her recent elevation to Fellow of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) marks a significant professional milestone, one that reflects her demonstrated mastery in diagnosing and managing complex orofacial pain, her contributions to research and education, and her deep commitment to interdisciplinary, patient-centered care. This distinction further enhances her credentials as a TMJ specialist and aligns closely with her secondary focus in dental sleep medicine, which bridges jaw function and airway health. In combining these two domains, Dr. Phillips is uniquely positioned not only to address jaw pain and dysfunction but also to integrate sleep therapy approaches, delivering a more personalized, comprehensive, and expertly informed standard of care to patients who present with overlapping TMJ, bruxism, headache, and breathing-related challenges.

What it Means to Be a Fellow of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP)

In the dental and orofacial pain communities, being a Fellow of the AAOP is a distinguished honor, one that signals mastery, commitment, and leadership beyond what is expected of a general practitioner.

Generally speaking, the “Fellow” designation acknowledges that the clinician:

• Demonstrates a significant period of specialized knowledge and advanced clinical skill in diagnosing, managing, and treating orofacial pain, TMJ disorders, and related conditions (jaw, facial muscles, neck, referred pain).
• Has successfully completed a graduate or post-graduate study in an ADA-accredited dental school program related to orofacial pain and has as a sustained record of continuing education–including a substantial number of continuing education hours specifically in the field of orofacial pain–service, and contribution to the profession.
• Upholds high standards of professional ethics, collaboration, and interdisciplinary care.
• Is recognized by peers, which often requires sponsorship or endorsement from existing Fellows.

The AAOP also requires Fellow candidates to accumulate points via published papers, presentations, and other scholarly work and expects active involvement in committees or service bodies, demonstrating that they are serving the profession, not simply accruing credentials.

 Once conferred, the Fellow designation is not perpetual: it requires renewal or proof of ongoing contributions after a period of years. For example, some Academy Fellow designations last five or ten years before renewal is required.

 In short, the Fellow title is not just a badge for Dr. Phillips—it is a working commitment to clinical rigor, scholarship, and ethical leadership

Excelling in a Second Specialty: Dental Sleep Medicine

Earning Fellowship in the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) reflects more than Dr. Katherine S. Phillips’s mastery in diagnosing and treating complex jaw and facial pain—it underscores her commitment to understanding how the temporomandibular joint, muscle tension, and airway health are interconnected. This whole-system perspective naturally extends into her second area of specialization, dental sleep medicine, where she addresses sleep-disordered breathing and its relationship to pain, posture, and function.

Building on the same precision and interdisciplinary collaboration required in orofacial pain, Dr. Phillips has become a recognized leader in diagnosing and managing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) through oral appliance therapy (OAT). As the former President of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM) and an educator for the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), she helps set national standards for clinical care and education. At the AADSM 2025 Annual Meeting, she presented on integrating objective tools—such as home sleep apnea tests, wearables, and pulse oximetry—into practice, advancing more precise, data-driven care that improves outcomes and coordination with sleep physicians.

What this Professional Experience Says About Dr. Phillips

Earning Fellowship in the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) and serving in leadership roles within the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) and the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM) place Dr. Katherine S. Phillips among a select group of clinicians recognized for their advanced training, scholarly contribution, and dedication to interdisciplinary care. These credentials reflect more than professional achievement; they represent a commitment to understanding how jaw joint health, facial pain, and airway function intersect.

In both orofacial pain and dental sleep medicine, Dr. Phillips’s work demonstrates a rare combination of academic rigor and clinical experience. Her involvement in teaching, research, and national guideline development shows that she doesn’t just follow the standards of care—she helps define them. This depth of engagement signals to patients and peers alike that she practices at the leading edge of her field, applying evidence-based methods grounded in collaboration, measurable outcomes, and ongoing education.

What this Combined Experience Means for Patient Care

Dr. Phillips’s dual expertise in orofacial pain and dental sleep medicine translates directly into more accurate diagnoses, more comprehensive treatment plans, and better long-term results. At Restore TMJ & Sleep Therapy, her patients benefit from a whole-body approach that connects the dots between jaw function, muscle balance, airway health, and sleep quality.

Here are 6 ways Dr. Phillips’s credentials translate to improved care:

1. Deeper, more accurate diagnostic assessments.

Advanced training in both TMJ disorders and sleep-disordered breathing allows Dr. Phillips to uncover root causes that others may overlook, going beyond assessments that simply scan joints or fit appliances to determine whether pain stems from muscle imbalance, joint dysfunction, airway obstruction, or a combination of factors.

2. Comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated treatment that focuses on root causes.

Because she understands the relationship between the jaw and airway, Dr. Phillips can design treatments that address conditions like TMJ pain and sleep apnea simultaneously, rather than treating them as isolated problems, for better, more effective care.

3. Precision, data-driven therapy.

Her expertise with objective tools like home sleep tests, wearables, and pulse oximetry means oral appliances are calibrated using real data, ensuring greater comfort, safety, and effectiveness over time. Moreover, she is often closer to new evidence, device advances, and consensus updates, meaning better access to cutting-edge techniques and research and care that is more likely to reflect the latest proven practices.

4. Better management of complex conditions.

This integration of disciplines equips her to treat not just TMJ disorders, but complex related conditions and comorbidities such as bruxism, chronic headaches, facial or neck pain, and sleep apnea, all of which share overlapping causes. Her standing in professional societies also makes her a trusted collaborator in multidisciplinary care, giving her a broader and more credible referral network of ENTs, neurologists, physical therapists, and sleep physicians.

5. Reduced risk and faster relief.

Continuous monitoring and collaboration with medical specialists help prevent side effects, shorten treatment timelines, and provide long-lasting stability. Because Dr. Phillips is deeply involved in both orofacial pain and sleep dentistry, she is well positioned to identify, prevent, and manage unintended side effects early, tailoring the therapy over time as needed.

6. Lifelong, adaptive care.

As your anatomy or health changes, Dr. Phillips can adjust your treatment using objective data and ongoing follow-up, ensuring your plan continues to meet your needs. Her engagement with objective tool protocols means the oral appliances she prescribes are not “set and forget.” Instead, she can leverage HSATs, wearable sensors, pulse oximeters, and data-driven calibration protocols to optimize things like:



• Appliance position.
• Treatment effectiveness.
• Side-effect monitoring.
• Sleep–jaw interaction over time.

Restore TMJ & Sleep Therapy in The Woodlands: Where Experience Means Exceptional Care

At Restore TMJ & Sleep Therapy, patients benefit from a level of expertise and collaboration that goes beyond traditional dentistry. With years of focused experience in orofacial pain, TMJ disorders, and dental sleep medicine, Dr. Katherine S. Phillips and Dr. Y.C. Joseph FischerHahm take a comprehensive, systems-based approach to diagnosis and treatment. Here, our goal is not to simply manage discomfort, but to identify and correct the underlying imbalances that cause it, whether in the jaw joints, muscles, airway, or posture. By integrating advanced imaging, objective sleep data, and evidence-based therapies, we can create individualized plans that restore comfort, stability, and function where other treatments may only provide temporary relief.

What truly sets our practice apart, however, is our ability to address multiple, interconnected issues at once—such as TMJ dysfunction, headaches, bruxism, or sleep apnea—through coordinated, interdisciplinary care. Rather than focusing on isolated symptoms, we treat the full spectrum of contributing factors to achieve long-term, sustainable results. Our balance of medical insight, precision technology, and compassionate expertise allows our patients to experience not just less pain, but better sleep, improved jaw function, and a healthier, more balanced quality of life.

If you’re ready to find lasting relief from TMJ pain, headaches, or sleep-related issues, the team at Restore TMJ & Sleep Therapy is here to help. Schedule your consultation today to discover how personalized, comprehensive treatment backed by experience can help you restore balance, improve sleep, and reclaim a healthier, pain-free life.