Hey! So nice to speak with you! Can you tell our readers a little bit more about yourself? Where are you originally from and where do you live now?

My name is Dr Sami Sarabadani. I’m originally from Iran, and over the years I’ve lived in several countries including UAE, Australia, New Zealand, and now the United States. I currently live and practice in Colorado. I’m a dentist and Board-Certified TMJ and Orofacial Pain Specialist with more than a decade of clinical experience. My background has given me the opportunity to experience different healthcare systems and cultures, which has shaped the way I approach patient care today. I completed advanced training in Orofacial Pain at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, where I earned both a Master of Dental Science degree and a postgraduate certificate in Orofacial Pain. I am also a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain (ABOP) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (FAAOP).

Today, I focus on helping patients who suffer from chronic TMJ disorders, facial pain, headaches, migraines, and sleep-related issues through my practice, Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain. My goal has always been to create a compassionate, evidence-based environment where patients feel heard and finally get answers after years of frustration.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now?

One thing I truly love about living in Colorado is the balance between nature, lifestyle, and community. The scenery is incredible, and there’s something calming about being close to the mountains and having access to outdoor activities year-round.

I also appreciate how health-conscious and active the community is here. Many people genuinely value wellness and preventive healthcare, which aligns closely with the philosophy behind my practice. Patients are very engaged in understanding the root cause of their symptoms rather than just masking them, and that makes my work especially rewarding.

Tell us a little bit more about what your company does and how it started? How does it help your customers?

I founded Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain to help patients who often feel overlooked or misunderstood within traditional healthcare settings. Our practice focuses on diagnosing and treating TMJ disorders, chronic facial pain, headaches, migraines, jaw dysfunction, sleep-related breathing disorders, and other complex orofacial pain conditions.

What inspired me to start the practice was seeing how many patients had spent years searching for answers. Many had seen multiple providers, undergone extensive dental work, or been told that their pain was “just stress,” yet they still struggled daily with symptoms affecting their quality of life. I wanted to create a place where patients feel genuinely heard and where treatment is based on a thorough understanding of the underlying causes of their condition.

Our approach is conservative, evidence-based, and highly personalized. We look beyond just the teeth or jaw joint and evaluate the muscles, nerves, airway, sleep quality, posture, habits, and overall health factors that may contribute to pain and dysfunction. Treatment may include oral appliance therapy, physical therapy collaboration, trigger point injections, Botox, sleep evaluations, lifestyle modifications, and patient education.

One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing patients finally experience relief after years of chronic pain or frustration. Helping someone sleep better, eat comfortably again, or simply get through the day without constant pain can truly change their life.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice will help them?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that building a business takes far more patience and resilience than most people expect. There will be moments where things move slowly, plans change, or challenges come from directions you never anticipated. The key is to stay consistent and keep moving forward even when progress feels small.

I also think it’s important to build something that genuinely aligns with your values and strengths rather than simply chasing trends. For me, creating Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain came from a real passion for helping patients with complex pain conditions who often struggled to find answers elsewhere. That sense of purpose makes it much easier to stay motivated through the difficult parts of entrepreneurship.

Another piece of advice is to never stop learning. Whether it’s continuing education, mentorship, leadership skills, or understanding the business side of your profession, growth matters. Some of the best opportunities in my career came from staying curious and being willing to adapt.

And finally, don’t underestimate the importance of relationships. The people you work with, learn from, and support along the way can have a tremendous impact on both your business and your personal growth.

What was one feedback from a happy customer/client that you won't forget about?

One story that has always stayed with me involved a patient who had suffered from severe facial pain for nearly 20 years before finally receiving the correct diagnosis. During my training at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, I had the opportunity to help care for a patient with trigeminal neuralgia, often described as one of the most painful conditions in medicine. He had seen multiple providers over the years and was living in constant fear of the next pain attack.

After a thorough evaluation, imaging, and collaboration with our multidisciplinary team, he was finally able to receive the treatment he needed. What I remember most was not just the clinical outcome, but the emotional transformation afterward. Seeing someone go from years of suffering to finally smiling, sleeping, eating, and enjoying life again was incredibly meaningful.

Experiences like that reinforced why I chose this field and ultimately inspired me to build Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain. They remind me that healthcare is not only about diagnosing conditions or treating symptoms, it’s about listening carefully, making patients feel understood, and helping restore quality of life when people have started to lose hope.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I see Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain continuing to grow into a leading center for comprehensive TMJ, orofacial pain, and sleep-related care in Colorado. My goal is not just to expand geographically, but to continue building a practice known for compassionate, evidence-based care and a truly patient-centered experience.

I’m especially passionate about increasing awareness of orofacial pain as a specialty because many patients spend years searching for answers without realizing there are providers specifically trained in these conditions. In the future, I hope to continue educating both patients and healthcare professionals about the connection between TMJ disorders, headaches, facial pain, sleep, airway health, and overall wellness.

I also want to continue integrating technology, collaboration, and multidisciplinary care into the practice so patients can receive more comprehensive treatment in one place. Ultimately, my vision is to create a practice that not only helps patients feel better physically, but also helps them regain confidence, comfort, and quality of life.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

One of the biggest misconceptions about my industry is that TMJ disorders and facial pain are “just dental problems”. In reality, orofacial pain is incredibly complex and often involves a combination of muscles, joints, nerves, sleep disorders, airway issues, posture, habits, and even broader medical or emotional factors.

Another misconception is that jaw pain is something patients simply have to live with, or that the only solution is invasive treatment. Many patients are surprised to learn that conservative, evidence-based approaches can make a significant difference when the underlying causes are properly identified.

I also think many people underestimate how much chronic facial pain and poor sleep can affect someone’s daily life. These conditions can impact work, relationships, mental health, energy levels, and overall quality of life. That’s why comprehensive evaluation and individualized care are so important.

Part of my mission with Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain is helping patients better understand these conditions and showing them that there are treatment options designed specifically for their needs.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business and how did you deal with it?

One of the biggest challenges in building my business has been starting and growing a highly specialized practice in a field that many people still don’t fully understand. Orofacial pain and TMJ disorders are often overlooked or misunderstood, so a large part of the journey has involved education, not only for patients, but sometimes for other healthcare providers and insurance systems as well.

Like many entrepreneurs, I also had to learn the business side of running a practice while continuing to focus on patient care. Balancing clinical responsibilities, leadership, operations, marketing, insurance credentialing, and long-term planning can be overwhelming at times, especially in the early stages.

What helped me most was staying adaptable and continuing to move forward step by step rather than expecting everything to happen overnight. I focused on building strong relationships, investing in continuing education, listening carefully to patient feedback, and creating systems that support both patient experience and practice growth.

Most importantly, I tried to keep the original mission in mind during difficult moments, helping patients who often felt they had run out of answers. Remembering the impact the work has on real people made it easier to push through the uncertainty and challenges that come with building something meaningful.

Where can our readers follow your work or learn more about your upcoming projects?

Readers can learn more about me and my practice by visiting Colorado TMJ & Facial Pain website, where we share information about TMJ disorders, headaches, facial pain, sleep-related conditions, and the treatment options we offer.
You can also follow along on social media as we continue to grow and share educational content focused on orofacial pain, TMJ health, sleep wellness, and patient care. My goal is to make this field more understandable and accessible for patients who may have been searching for answers for a long time.