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When Colonel Theresa Gonzales retired after 30 years of active military service in the United States Army, she returned to her native South Carolina in the role of professor in the division of oral pathology.

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Shortly thereafter, Gonzales established a pain management portal to diagnose and treat chronic orofacial pain. She contended that "despite the diversity of treatments for chronic pain, the overall efficacy of treatment is disappointing, with an average pain reduction of approximately 30% in about one-half of treated patients." More importantly, she acknowledged that pain reduction did always result in improved physical and emotional functioning and enhanced quality of life. She championed the creation of the Chronic Orofacial Pain Management Service and established treatment priorities that emphasized optimal symptom relief, with most patients requiring individualized therapeutic regimens based on multidisciplinary combinations of treatment modalities in order to achieve clinically acceptable outcomes.

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For her contributions, Gonzales was honored with the MUSC Outstanding Clinician Award in 2017. She served as the Associate Dean of Curriculum and Strategic Communication and was regularly recognized as the Outstanding Basic Science during her tenure. She continues to serve the CDM in a variety of educational capacities.