Dr. Rich Hirschinger is a board-certified orofacial pain specialist and the founder of Beverly Hills TMJ & Headache Pain Institute. He holds a DDS and MBA from the University of Southern California and completed his Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine residency at UCLA in 2012, where he now serves as a current faculty lecturer. Certified by the American Board of Orofacial Pain (Diplomate #ABOP1352), he is one of only a few hundred board-certified specialists of his kind in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Hirschinger does not treat teeth or perform any dental procedures. His practice focuses entirely on diagnosing and treating chronic head, face, jaw, neck, and nerve pain through conservative, non-surgical methods. He challenges a widespread assumption in dentistry: that chronic head and neck pain stems from bite or occlusion. Most jaw pain, he explains, originates in the four muscles that close the jaw, not the joint itself. He invented the gentle jaw®, a patented passive jaw stretching device now used in his practice, and has presented at ADA annual meetings and international conferences on orofacial pain and sleep apnea.

Specialties

1
Orofacial PainPrimary
Diagnosis and management of chronic facial and oral pain disorders

Education & Training

Two-year residency in Orofacial Pain at UCLA School of Dentistry

Board Certifications

Fellow of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain
Board-certified by the American Board of Orofacial Pain

What does Board Certified mean?

Credential: DDS, MBA

NPI registered: 07/12/2010

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Areas of Focus

Chronic facial and jaw pain / TMJ-related disordersMigrainesTension-type headachesCluster headachesMuscle-related head and neck painNerve-related pain / trigeminal neuralgiaBurning mouth syndromeSleep apneaSnoringObstructive sleep-related breathing disorders

Technology & Equipment

Gentle Jaw® (patented passive jaw stretching device)
Dental appliances for sleep apnea treatment

Professional Memberships

American Academy of Orofacial Pain

Beyond the Office

Current lecturer at UCLA School of Dentistry in the Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine residency

Speaker at local study clubs, dental societies, state meetings, American Dental Association annual meeting, and international conferences

Invented the Gentle Jaw®, a patented passive jaw stretching device, which he refers to as 'yoga for the jaw®'

Does not treat teeth or perform any dental procedures despite being a dentist

Known for thorough diagnostic exams and unique approach to orofacial pain management

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