Testimonials from Doctors Lectured on OFP by Dr. Hirschinger

"Dr. Hirschinger presented a very thorough and extremely informative lecture on the diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain. As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who performs many TMJ surgeries, I am happy to have found an extremely caring and compassionate colleague who can assist my patient's with their orofacial pain."

Nora Kehennasa, MD, DDS
Los Angeles, CA

I was lucky enough to learn from Dr. Hirschinger at UCLA, but this seminar was something else! It was so cool to be in a small group where we could ask questions and each be the "patient". The lecture was not only very informative, but also thought provoking and challenging. It didn't just teach us new information, it also taught us a new way of thinking and approaching patients who present with alleged dental pain. Orofacial pain is now in the back of my mind as I think about it as a differential in assessing patients with dental pain. I do my new patient exams differently too now, asking more questions and palpating with a little more muscle. It's also encouraging to be able to offer patients the option of seeking care from an orofacial pain specialist for chronic problems that they've been told they just have to live with; if something is out of my scope, I can be confident in making a referral. I also loved the interactive part of the lecture; I think we all learned a lot....I got some new ideas on what to do with all those wine corks sitting around at home. Dr. Hirschinger is an extremely engaging and thoughtful speaker, it's always a pleasure and I hope we can hear more from him!

Dr. Ata Tumanyan
Palos Verde, CA

When I first came into the lecture, I thought that 3 hours would pass very slowly, boy was I wrong. Dr. Hirschinger has an interesting background which I think makes him a great lecturer. The testimonials and cases presentations were very engaging. In dental school, I didn’t have solid lectures regarding orofacial pain. I went through a week long rotation where I got to shadow residents and learn more about how they do a patient exam and things to watch for, but it still didn’t really stick with me. The take away message that I value the most from this lecture is being able to distinguish between odontogenic pain and trigeminal neuralgia. Unfortunately, not knowing the difference may result in unnecessary dental work that the patient has to endure/pay for.

Some other topics that I found to be fascinating include muscle referral pattern and how to diagnose migraines. Whoever knew that pain in the jaw could be related to the tensing up of muscles due to using an Ipad. I also thought a medical doctor was the only one that could diagnose migraines. I think what blew me away the most from this lecture was looking at a picture of Dr. Hirschinger’s office. It actually looks almost like a psychiatrist’s office minus the massage table. He is treating patients with chronic pain with simple non-fancy equipment.

This lecture has definitely changed my thoughts about the specialty. I just hope that with more practice and exposure, I will know to refer to an orofacial pain specialist sooner so that a patient does not need to suffer for over a span of two decades.

Dr. Cam Van Huynh
Los Angeles, CA

I’ve been interested in orofacial pain since dental school, especially with my own history of mild myofascial pain. There are times treating patients that the source of pain cannot be determined. Having the ability to palpate muscles and knowing patterns of referral is one more tool in our belts we can use before performing irreversible dental work. To that end, Dr. Hirschinger’s lecture was relevant, useful, clear, and interesting. The videos of his patients not only elucidated his treatment methods but also humanized his (our) work. His demonstrations on us made his teachings memorable and drove home the impact of treating orofacial pain.

Dr. Christy Park
Cresenta Valley, Ca

Dr. Hirschinger’s seminar was a thorough explanation of orofacial pain. I especially enjoyed the patient testimonials. Ultimately, the most important part of healthcare is the patient, and the videos were an excellent demonstration of their voices being heard. My previous education of orofacial pain in dental school focused more on the exam aspect. I like how Dr. Hirschinger’s lecture covered the specifics of how to arrive at a diagnosis. He focused on the importance of questions, history, and documentation. The muscle referral patterns of the head of neck were especially interesting. I had never been exposed to images of the referral patterns before. The demonstration of ethyl chloride highlighted the significance of referred pain and how it can be alleviated. Having experienced ethyl chloride on my head for the first time was incredibly relieving! Overall, I was grateful for the opportunity to hear Dr. Hirschinger speak and exhibit his techniques. I have great respect and appreciation for orofacial pain and the training involved

Dr. Sahar Yaftaly
Simi Valley, CA

"Honestly, what Dr. Hirschinger presented was almost ALL new information. As a periodontist, I have very little experience in facial pain. I knew muscle pain was very common but I had no clue how to diagnose or recognize it. After 20 plus years practicing perio, I am an expert in tooth pain issues but not facial pain. I really thought it was so cool especially see all of the videos of the patients telling their stories in their own words!"

Dr. Andrew Satlin
West Los Angeles, CA

"Dr Hirschinger's presentation to the San Gabriel Valley Dental Implant Study Club on oral facial pain is a wealth of information. Using patient scenarios and patient videos as examples allows participants to understand the diagnosis. The program is a great education for general dentists as well as any type of dental specialist or physician."

Dr. Christopher Marchack

Pasadena, CA

"The orofacial pain seminar given by Dr. Rich Hirschinger was very informative and relevant to my experiences working with veterans at the VA in Downtown, Los Angeles. I have seen many patients who have bruxism related TMJ symptoms that have had irreversible occlusal reductions done without any resolution. I learned from the seminar that most pain is from muscles, which I now plan to consider and attempt to alleviate through the use of occlusal guards and exercises that include stretching the mouth with resistance. In addition, the mapping of all referred pain from muscles especially in the head and neck region has broadened my perspective of mostly viewing things at the level of the tooth to taking a step back and realizing the bigger picture."

Corey Song, D.D.S.

Long Beach, CA

"This presentation was enlightening and informative. The information being shared is definitely important in helping us to diagnose and treat the patient experiencing pain that has nothing to do with teeth. I have heard the statement that “a hammer only can see nails.” We know that pain is an experience that has many different factors. This knowledge is another tool we can use to treat our patients experiencing discomfort. We often overlook the muscles as a source of pain and Dr. Hirschinger’s presentation is a reminder that we don’t just treat the mouth. There are people attached to these mouths and their musculature plays an important part in their experience of pain.

Orofacial pain can have many causes not just the teeth or the soft tissue that we examine visually or radiographically. Not only did Dr. Hirschinger present us with this information but he also did a great job illustrating and demonstrating why this information is so relevant in treatment. He has definitely enlightened me in a way that has inspired me to do more research on this topic. I will definitely incorporate this information as a consideration when diagnosing patients experiencing orofacial pain that isn’t caused by something evident in the oral cavity."

Ryan Grier, D.D.S.
Stockbridge, Georgia

"Dr. Hirschinger's Orofacial Pain seminar was eye opening, educational, and entertaining. He reminds us that all too often, we as dentists jump to the conclusion of blacklisting malocclusion or TMD as the source of all head and neck pain issues. Dr. Hirschinger's lecture encourages one to take a step back and reexamine the key roles that bad habits, poor posture, and muscle tension can play to wreak havoc on the lives of those suffering from orofacial pain. His lecture was definitely a valuable part of my GPR residency experience!"

Michelle Tsao, D.M.D.
Boston, Massachusetts

"Dr. Richard Hirschinger provided a well thought out lecture on Orofacial Pain. Strengths included simplifying subject matter, an easy way to remember how to diagnose migraine headaches, an interactive presentation and didactic portion. The animated diagrams were also excellent. The lecture added to my perspective of non-odontogenic pain and gave me new insight in the assessment of patient's presenting with pain. This course on Orofacial Pain added another dimension to my diagnostic ability, and for that I am grateful."

Matt Magar, D.D.S.
Downey, California

“I think the lecture was very helpful for us to understand orofacial pain. I really didn't know too much about it, and I learned a lot especially about occlusal dysesthesia. Thanks Dr. Hirschinger for a very educational evening!”

Dr. Michael Liaw
Taipei, Taiwan

“I really enjoyed Dr. Hirschinger’s lecture. It was very dynamic. It made me aware of how important the diagnosis of myofascial pain can be as there are patients that are misdiagnosed that are dealing with pain for a long period of time. As a result of his lecture, I now know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia, and other neuralgias and neuropathies in my patients. Great lecture!”

Dr. Federico Pigem
Lleida, Spain

“Dr. Hirschinger’s lecture was very informative and a good introduction to orofacial pain and its treatment. I liked the way he showed multiple cases with videos from his actual patients, which helps us doctors understand the application of the basic concepts of orofacial pain in clinical scenarios.”

Dr. Zeenat Khan
Bombay, India

“I really liked the lecture because it was clinically oriented, he was giving hints in how to deal with many of these chronic pain patients. It was very useful showing us pain referrals and the questions we should be asking to diagnose the source of pain.”

Dr. Ahmed Hisham
Cairo, Egypt

“Dr. Hirschinger’s lecture was very informative about diagnosis and management of oral facial pain. The theoretical portion of the lecture coupled with clinical cases and videos from actual patient that were included in the presentation made up for a really clinically relevant and comprehensive lecture. I now know what questions to ask to properly diagnose migraine and the other types of headaches.”

Dr. Mandana Nematollahi
Vancouver, Canada

“This was one of the best lectures that I've ever attended. Dr. Hirschinger presented the information in a very structured and very understandable way, he was very skillful, and had an excellent knowledge about the subject. He was very good and had the audience attention throughout the whole presentation!!!!”

Dr. Marco Castro
Guatemala City, Guatemala

"It was great to hear about orofacial pain, a new topic I knew nothing about. I never knew the muscle referral patterns and I now understand why and how muscles in the head and neck can cause so much pain. The lecture was very dynamic and the presenter seemed very confident and passionate about his field. It would be great to have an orofacial pain patient to share with Dr. Rich and learn from it!"

Dr. Jose Manuel Reuss
Madrid, Spain