James Fricton, DDS, MS, Featured by America’s Best in Medicine for Pioneering Care in TMJ and Orofacial Pain

Plymouth, Minnesota Dec 30, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - Plymouth, Minnesota James Fricton, DDS, MS, is a nationally recognized clinician, researcher, and educator whose career has significantly shaped the understanding and treatment of head, neck, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and orofacial pain. As Co-Founder of the Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic (MHNPC at www.mhnpc.com), Dr. Fricton has dedicated decades to helping patients manage both simple and complex pain conditions, as well as sleep-related disorders, through comprehensive multidisciplinary care.

Since the clinics founding in 1985, Dr. Fricton and his colleagues, Dr. Alfred Clavel, Dr. Cory Herman, and others have championed a patient-centered philosophy known as transformative care. This approach integrates evidence-based treatments with structured self-management training, empowering patients to play an active role in preventing and managing chronic pain. By emphasizing self-care education, behavioral strategies, evidence-based treatments and collaboration between medical and dental disciplines, transformative care has helped redefine how chronic head, neck, and orofacial pain is managed with sustained success over time.

In addition to his extensive clinical work, Dr. Fricton serves as Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Public Health, and as a Senior Research Associate at the HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research. His research interests center on developing a patient-centered technology platform (preventionprogram.com) and strategies to improve patient engagement in pain prevention to improve long-term outcomes. As principal investigator for several national initiativesincluding the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Researchs TMJ Implant Registry and RepositoryDr. Fricton has played a pivotal role in advancing both policy and clinical practice in orofacial pain management through the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (www.aaop.org).

Dr. Fricton is a graduate of The University of Iowa, where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1973 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree in 1978. He further refined his expertise through advanced training in medical anesthesiology and pain management residency at the UCLA School of Medicine. He founded the TMD and Orofacial Pain Program at the University of Minnesota in 1980. His extensive education and leadership have firmly established him as a leading authority in his field.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain, Dr. Fricton is widely respected for advancing collaborative, patient-centered models of care that enhance quality, safety, and access across dental and medical settings. His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (www.aaop.org), the American Dental Association, the International Myopain Society, the American Pain Society, and the International Association for the Study of Pain.

As an author, Dr. Fricton has contributed more than 150 publications addressing chronic pain, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and patient-centered digital health strategies for preventing chronic pain and consequences. His body of work includes systematic reviews, prospective cohort studies, and randomized clinical trials exploring the transition from acute to chronic TMD pain, the development of self-management programs, and the integration of health information tools in pain medicine. Through these efforts, he has helped bridge pain science, patient education technology, and clinical decision-support systems. Further extending his impact, Dr. Fricton also developed the Prevention Program (www.preventionprogram.com), a program that supports healthcare professionals in preventing chronic pain and its consequences by integrating patient self-management training with telehealth coaching and technology into pain management treatment. In addition to his clinical and scientific writing, Dr. Fricton has authored several suspenseful fiction novels with insight into understanding our seven realms, reflecting his creative interests beyond medicine at www.james-fricton.com.

Through his clinical leadership, groundbreaking research, and dedication to education, Dr. James Fricton and the Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic continue to improve outcomes for individuals living with chronic pain while driving innovation at the intersection of dentistry, medicine, and healthcare informatics.

Learn more about Dr. James Fricton:

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Through his Americas Best in Medicine profile, https://americasbestinmedicine.com/connect/james-fricton or through his profile on Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic, https://mhnpc.com/

Americas Best in Medicine

Americas Best in Medicine is a specialist online platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of leading healthcare professionals across the United States. They bring together top healthcare providers from all specialties and cities to share expert-driven articles, research, commentary, and clinical insight. Their core purposes are to showcase excellence in healthcare, build trust between providers and the public, and ensure that expert voices are elevated and heard in shaping medicine. Through their platform, users can access a community of leaders, opportunities for providers to share expertise, and trusted guidance for patients and peers alike.