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 currently serves as Chair of the Orofacial Pain Department at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School (NPDS) in Bethesda, MD. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he attended Dental School at The Ohio State University, graduating with his DDS in 2010. His first assignment was at 32nd St Dental Clinic in San Diego, California as an Advanced Education General Dentistry resident. He was then stationed at the Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain as a general dentist. In 2015 he completed a residency in Orofacial Pain at NPDS and received a Master’s Degree in Oral Biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He next served as the sole Department of Defense Orofacial Pain Specialist in the Southwestern region of the United States while at Naval Medical Center San Diego from 2015-2018. He served as the Program Director for the Orofacial Pain Residency from 2019-2022, as well as the Orofacial Pain Specialty Leader to the Navy Surgeon General from 2021-2025. In 2017, he received a certificate in Medical Acupuncture from Helms Medical Institute. In 2024 he completed his Master of Education in Health Professions Education Degree. CDR Hawkins is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain and the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. His recent academic awards include the AMSUS - The Society of Federal Health Professionals - Top Dentist Award (2026), USUHS Postgraduate Dental College Outstanding Senior Educator's Award (2024), NPDS Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2021), and Walter Reed Associate Master Clinician Award (2021). He currently serves as the co-chair of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain Guidelines committee and assistant editor for CRANIO.

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

Chair, Orofacial Pain Department (2022-Pres)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Co-Chair, American Academy of Orofacial Pain Resident & Academic Training Committee (2017-2024)

Orofacial Pain Residency Program Director (2019-2022)

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

Representative Bibliography

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.

Owen, M, Gray, B, Hack, N, Perez, L, Allard, R, Hawkins, J. (2022) Impact of botulinum toxin injection into the masticatory muscles on mandibular bone: A systematic review. J Oral Rehabil. 49(6), 644-653.

Fricton, J, Chen, H, Shaefer, J, Mackman, J, Okeson, J, Ohrbach, R, Klasser, G, Hawkins, J, Hasel, R, Heir, G. (2022) New curriculum standards for teaching temporomandibular disorders in dental schools: A commentary. The Journal of the American Dental Association. I153(5), 395-398.

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.

Dinan, J, Smith, A, Hawkins, J. (2021). Paroxysmal Hemifacial Pain: A Report of Two Cases. Headache. 61, 683-686.

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.

Dinan, J, Smith, A, Hawkins, J. (2020). Trigeminal Neuralgia with Extra-Oral Trigger Zone Successfully Treated with Intra-Oral Botulinum Toxin Injections: A Case Report. Clinical Neuropharmacology. 43(5), 162-163.