After recently completing written and oral tests from the American Board of Orofacial Pain, Santa Clarita dentist Leda Whitmer (pictured above) has become one of only 250 dentists in the country board-certified in that specialty.

Whitmer, the only specialist practicing in the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys with this board certification, is also certified in the area of Dental Acupuncture, another rare specialty of which she is one of only two local practitioners.

After graduating at the head of her UCLA class in 1973 with a degree in mathematics, Whitmer received the Regent’s Scholarship, the highest award granted by the University of California, to continue her studies at the UCLA School of Dentistry from 1974-1978.

She finished with the top written board exam score in her predoctoral program. In 1979, she opened her practice in Valencia and although she offers General Dentistry services, she is now qualified to solve chronic pain issues for her patients and those referred by other dentists who may have tried several other approaches to ease their discomfort.

Whitmer is also a Clinical Educator at the Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine Clinic at UCLA, mentoring dental students from around the world. In her practice, she treats patients with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMJ), neuropathic pain, and specialized headaches. She is also a specialist in treating sleep apnea and has been able to help many patients who could not tolerate CPAP machines.

She is a member of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, the American Headache Society, the Headache Cooperative of the Pacific and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Whitmer decided to expand her expertise to help patients and her fellow dentists find answers for chronic pain situations presented after all other traditional methods of treatment were exhausted.

“I am like Sherlock Holmes. My job is to find out what’s wrong and come up with a conservative plan of action, using neurology, pharmacology and physical medicine,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer is also deeply involved in the wellness community, sponsoring the local triathlon club and competing in the Boston Marathon, the Ironman 70-3 World Championships and the Ironman Championnat in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada.

In the area of lifelong learning, Santa Clarita dentist Leda Whitmer is proof that continual study pays off.