Rethinking Pain Control: The Story Behind the Comfort Control Clock
About this episode
Dr. Jeffrey Berlin discusses the development of the Comfort Control Clock, an innovative tool for managing post-surgery pain in pediatric patients.
In this episode, pediatric dentist Dr. Jeffrey Berlin shares the origin story of the Comfort Control Clock , a simple analog tool that helps patients correctly alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen after surgery. While serving on a multidisciplinary committee re-evaluating pain-management practices during the opioid crisis, Dr. Berlin recognized that alternating OTC medications was well supported by literature—especially in dental and OMFS research—yet difficult for families to understand. A moment of frustration in a PACU whiteboard session led him to sketch a rotating clock face that visually clarified medication timing. Early prototypes were handmade; later, a hospital innovation center and a skilled printer helped refine and scale the product. Adoption began internally and expanded nationally, with OMFS practices becoming the strongest users. The episode also covers the entrepreneurial process, early testing, challenges of commercialization, and the broader impact on reducing opioid exposure and post-op call volume.
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