Dr. Wesley Shankland graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in biochemistry and zoology. He continued his education and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in 1978. He joined the faculty of the College of Dentistry of The Ohio State University in 1979 (1979-1984) and currently teaches gross anatomy in the College of Medicine of The Ohio State University and lectures in Neuroanatomy in the College of Dentistry at Ohio State. In 1993, he earned a Master's of Science Degree in anatomy, also from Ohio State, and in December of 1997, he earned his Ph.D. in anatomy. He is the Director of the TMJ & Facial Pain Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Shankland was the lead investigator in the FDA study which proved the effectiveness of the NTI-tss appliance for the prevention and/or treatment of migraine and tension-type headaches. He has written a scientific paper describing the finding of this research project, which will appear in the Journal of Craniomandibular Practice. He has been using the NTI appliance in his practice for over 4 years with excellent results.

The author of over eighty (80) national and international scientific publications, a manual of head and neck anatomy, and chapters in two textbooks, Dr. Shankland's book, TMJ: Its Many Faces, 2nd ed was released in February of 1996. The second edition of this best-selling book was released in October 1998. US News & World Report magazine listed this as THE TMJ book to purchase.  His newest book, Face the Pain , was released July of 2000.

His memberships include the American Academy of Head, Neck & Facial Pain, the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, American Headache Society, the International Headache Association, the American Equilibration Society, the Christian Medical and Dental Society, the American Association of Clinical Anatomists, the North American Cervicogenic Headache Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He's a Diplomate and Board Certified by the American Academy of Head, Neck & Facial Pain, the American Academy of Pain Management, and the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Shankland is also a Board Member of the American Academy of Head & Facial Pain. In addition, he has taught over 120 courses throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Germany and England concerning head and neck anatomy, craniofacial pain, the differential diagnosis of headache pain, and temporomandibular disorders.

Dr. Shankland is the immediate President of the American Academy of Head, Neck and Facial Pain.

Among his many research projects, Dr. Shankland has discovered a muscle (zygomandibularis), a bursa of the tensor veli palatini muscle, and a branch of the second division of the trigeminal nerve, none of which have previously been reported or described.