James Hawkins DDS, MS, MEd-HPE

Education

• M.Ed., Health Professions Education, USUHS 2024
• Certificate in Orofacial Pain, Naval Postgraduate Dental School 2015
• M.S., Oral Biology, USUHS 2015
• D.D.S., Ohio State 2010
• B.A., Health Science, Denison University 2005

Biography

Dr. James Hawkins is an Orofacial Pain Specialist and faculty member at the Orofacial Pain Center, Naval Postgraduate Dental School (NPDS), Bethesda, Maryland. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from The Ohio State University in 2010, completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the 32nd Street Dental Clinic in San Diego, California, and then served as a general dentist at Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain. In 2015, Dr. Hawkins completed the Orofacial Pain residency at NPDS and earned a Master of Science in Oral Biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He subsequently served as the sole Department of War Orofacial Pain Specialist in the southwestern United States at Naval Medical Center San Diego from 2015 to 2018. Dr. Hawkins served as Program Director for the Orofacial Pain Tri-Service Residency from 2019 to 2022, Orofacial Pain Specialty Leader to the Navy Surgeon General from 2021 to 2025, and Chair of the Orofacial Pain Center from 2022 to 2026. He earned a certificate in Medical Acupuncture from the Helms Medical Institute in 2017 and a Master of Education in Health Professions Education in 2024. CDR Hawkins is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain and the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. His honors include the AMSUS Society of Federal Health Professionals Top Dentist Award and the Walter Reed Master Clinician Award (2026), the USUHS Postgraduate Dental College Outstanding Senior Educator Award (2024), and the NPDS Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2021). He currently serves as co-chair of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain Guidelines Committee and as an assistant editor for CRANIO. Dr. Hawkins has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and five textbook chapters.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployments, Awards and Additional Publications

USUHS Postgraduate Dental College Committee on Appointments and Promotions (2026-Pres)

Co-Chair, American Academy of Orofacial Pain Guidelines Committee (2023-Pres)

Chair, Orofacial Pain Department (2022-2026)

Orofacial Pain Specialty Leader and Consultant to the Navy Surgeon General (2021-2025)

Program Director, TriService Orofacial Pain Residency Program (2019-2022)

Chair, Navy Dental Corps Academic Review Committee (2022-2026)

American Board of Orofacial Pain Oral Examiner (2018-2025)

Co-Chair, TMD-Mental Health BUMED Working Group (2025)

Board of Directors, American Academy of Orofacial Pain (2020-2024)

Faculty Senator, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (2019-2022)

Representative Bibliography

Hawkins, J, Sangalli, L, Prodoehl, J, Levett, P, Cervero, R, Durning, S. (2026). Temporomandibular Disorders Education Across the Health Professions: A Scoping Review. CRANIO.

Hawkins, J, Cervero, R, Zamani, M, Durning, S. (2026) Enhancing Temporomandibular Disorders Education for Postgraduate Year-1 Dental Residents Through Multimedia Learning Theory. Journal of Dental Education.

Sangalli, L, Manning, E, Abdykarimova, A, Gao, O, Lok, B, Hawkins, J, Miller, C. (2026). Integrating Virtual Patient-Based Learning Into Temporomandibular Disorder Education Improves Educational and Behavioral Outcomes. BMC Medical Education.

Cunningham, L, Reynolds, T, Watson, N, Hawkins, J, Criddle, P, Schmidt, J. (2026). Forgiveness and Mental Health in Military Personnel with Chronic Orofacial Pain. The Journal of Health Psychology.

Hawkins, J, Cervero, R, Durning, S. (2025) Enhancing Operational Readiness Through Temporomandibular Disorders Education in the Military Health System. Military Medicine. 190(Supp 1), 31-33.

Hawkins, J, Cervero, R, Durning, S. (2024) Enhancing Temporomandibular Disorders Education for Initial Care Clinicians Through Interprofessional Education. MedEdPORTAL. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11467

Romero-Reyes, M, Arman, S, Teruel, A, Kumar, S, Hawkins, J, Akerman, S. (2023) Pharmacological Management of Orofacial Pain. Drugs.

Dubyk, N, Smith, A, Criddle, P, Jones, B, Hawkins, J. (2021). First Bite Syndrome Treated with Onobotulinum Toxin A Injections. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 153(3), 284-289.

Hawkins, J, Heir, G, Okeson, J, Shaefer, J. (2020). Entrustable Professional Activities in Postgraduate Orofacial Pain Programs. Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache. 34(3), 255-264.

Duffin, P, Smith, A, Hawkins, J. (2020). Non-Odontogenic Odontalgia Referred from the Temporal Tendon: A Case Report. Journal of Endodontics. 46(10), 1530-1534.