TMJ HEADACHE RELIEF TESTIMONIALS
"I am writing this to you because I am grateful for your help with my TMJ."
To Dr. Kurt Uyehara D.D.S,
We met in therapy where I was recovering from a near-fatal fall accident 18 months before, and, in conversation, I told you that I was very lax about my teeth and that I had never been checked by a dentist after my fall.
I came to you for a checkup/cleaning, etc. and you then discovered that my teeth were ground down and that I showed symptoms of TMJ. I was not happy to hear that, however, I realized that I did grind my teeth a lot and decided to go for the treatment program.
I do not remember much pain involved with the measuring, x-rays, castings, etc. the program was a combination of day and night appliances and exercises. I wore the day one for over 1 year and use the night one always.
The program helped me manage pain, realignment of my whole body and gave me more endurance. When you told me I was balanced and could stop the day one I felt relieved and happy to know the grinding was in control and I was balanced!
Today I have a better quality of life in my extremely rebuilt body! I am now into year 3 or 4 and enjoy my checkups with you to catch up and to see how I am holding up! Aloha!
- Geoffrey S. Michaelson
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"TMJ Treatment: I'm Glad I Did It!"
Until I began my TMJ treatment with Kurt Uyehara, DDS, I did not realize that I had a constant headache. When you are in pain all the time, it becomes normal. The TMJ treatment progressed from temporary appliance to a permanent appliance to braces to retainers. As the treatment progressed, my headaches disappeared, my neck and shoulders were not knotted, my sinuses cleared up, and the quality of my sleep improved. An additional benefit is that I lost weight.
My first x-ray to confirm that I had TMJ problems was in September 2001. I wore a temporary appliance for about 4 months, then had another x-ray. The second x-ray showed a socket at the joint that was not present in the first x-ray. Dr. Uyehara explained that the temporary appliance placed my jaw in the proper alignment so that my nerves and veins now had a place to be.
Prior to the temporary retainer, the massage therapist would tell me that I hold my tension in my neck and shoulders. I thought that one knot at the base of my skull was a permanent fixture. Quite soon after Dr. Uyehara began treatment of my TMJ, all but that one stubborn knot could be massaged out. Now, after years of having that knot, it is no longer there. The tight neck and shoulders are a distant memory.
For most of my life, I remembered waking up with a stuffy nose each morning. Now, unless I have a cold, my sinuses are clear. Breathing is easier. My sleep used to be restless. I would wake up during the night and not be able to return to deep sleep. Now, I have hours of deep sleep each night. My night retainer, which I continue to wear, is designed so that I bite down on the retainer with my front bottom teeth. I no longer clench down on my back teeth. I have now had years of great sleep. Although I’m about 9 years older than when I first started the TMJ treatment, I’m more energetic.
Dr. Uyehara explained the treatment process at the beginning and as the treatment progressed. I feel very comfortable asking questions or expressing any concerts to Dr. Uyehara. Since this is a time-consuming process, the relationship that he establishes with his patients is extremely important.
When Dr. Uyehara first asked me if I wanted him to treat my TMJ, I thought that he would take care of the problems with my jaw. He did. He also took care of my sinus problems, my neck and shoulder aches, and my sleep disturbance. The time and money invested in my TMJ treatment were well worth it. Improvement in quality of life is priceless
Lauren Shimizu
Grateful Patient
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"I was living on the east coast where I started to feel physical discomforts such as pain behind the ear, migraines, clenching teeth, light sensitivity, grinding teeth at night, limited mouth opening, clicking/popping jaw joints, ringing in the ears, diminished hearing, balance problems/dizziness, shoulder aches, neck pain, lower back pain, Arms/legs/feet tingling/numbness..."
My former dentist told me to undergo TMJ treatment almost 25 years ago and I chose not to listen to him. Consequently, my symptoms only intensified in frequency and pain. Upon returning to Hawaii in July 2007, I did not return to my original dentist because I wanted to receive service from a dentist, who kept up with current practices. I, therefore, chose Dr. Uyehara.
In late 2007, and after a series of tests, a treatment plan was implemented. Dr. Uyehara did not just practice inside a box; he also used his expertise to examine other areas of the whole person. Referrals were made to an acupuncturist and chiropractor. Assisting in finding that right orthotic insole was also part of the treatment plan.
Under Dr. Uyehara’s care (of five years), my physical discomforts have been significantly reduced, especially, in the areas of clicking/popping jaw joints, limited mouth opening, ringing in the ears, balancing issues/dizziness, tingling/numbness in my arms/legs/feet, pain to neck, and trembling/shakiness.
I hope this letter will serve to help you with one of your seminars.
Sincerely,
Lesley Adachi Stamm
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"I have been a patient of Dr. Kurt Uyehara for the past 10 years. Throughout this time, I have observed him dedicating countless hours toward continuing education in order to better care for his patient."
His knowledge of orthodontia enabled him to recognize and treat my TMJ problems. I feel very fortunate to have him as my dentist and believe that he delivers superior care. The superior quality of care Dr. Uyehara provides is evident from the very first appointment. Dr. Uyehara conducts a very thorough head and neck check takes blood pressure and takes a complete medical history before even looking in your mouth. He recognizes that your head is connected to the rest of your body!
Dr. Uyehara practices preventative dentistry not just the treatment of the problems. His exams and recommendations reflect his commitment to a patient's ongoing oral health care. He gets your teeth and mouth healthy and teaches you how to maintain that for life.
I always had “good teeth” and used to think of the dentist as a wellness maintenance type of visit. Kind of like a healthy person getting a physical. I’ll go, get my teeth cleaned and that’s it. Then about five years ago Dr. Uyehara noticed the wear on my teeth. He asked if I grind my teeth at night. I told him “Yeah, my mom does too.” He then asked if I had been having headaches. I explained that I have had headaches since I was a teenager. Most were so bad that Ibuprofen wouldn't work and I would just have to go and lie down in a quiet dark room go to sleep and hope it was gone the next day. I would suffer 2-3 of these a month. At this time, I believed the cause of the headaches to be sinus/allergy-related and had gone to my family doctor about them. Dr. Uyehara recommended the TMJ testing and suggested that my headaches maybe be due to my bite. He recommended that I receive orthodontia to correct my bite and said that failure to do so may eventually result in the loss of teeth. I have since undergone orthodontic treatment and no longer suffer from migraines. It is important to note, that traditional orthodontic treatments for my particular condition recommended breaking my jaw and resetting it. Dr. Uyehara’s method of orthodontia was able to achieve the same outcome by using an appliance that I had to crank open weekly. This was much less painful. I can not emphasize how much his care has helped me. I sleep better, am subsequently more alert during the day, get a lot more things accomplished, and feel much less stressed.
Dr. Uyehara is not just a dentist. His is an integral part of my health and well being and so I consider him a member of my healthcare team. He sees me as a whole patient, not as a set of teeth. He has gone back to school, in his own time, demonstration exemplary perseverance, just to be able to take better care of his patients. For this, I am eternally grateful. If Dr. Uyehara hadn’t recognized my TMJ problem I would still be suffering from debilitating migraines and possibly scheduling appointments for tooth extractions. Instead, I have a beautiful set of teeth and no migraines! He is truly a leader in the field of dentistry. I have and will continue to recommend Dr. Kurt Uyehara to all of my friends and family. I thank him for all he has done and will continue to do.
Dr. Kathryn Mitchell-Takazawa
Science Teacher
'Iolani School
(PhD Chemistry)
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"Not only has my TMJ completely resolved but my posture has become more upright, I was able to become a nose breather which has helped my sleep and overall level of stress. "
Hi Kurt,
I just want to thank you for prescribing and fitting me with a night and day prosthesis to help my TMJ. Not only has my TMJ completely resolved but my posture has become more upright, I was able to become a nose breather which has helped my sleep and overall level of stress. Also, my lower jaw tooth crowding has completely resolved as I saw with the impressions that were taken before and 5 years after. This has really changed my life and I am eternally grateful!
I have noticed that my shoulder discomfort has resolved with my fitness training since I have been wearing my orthotic during workouts. By keeping my jaw forward and thus head back, my shoulder posture stays back as well as one's shoulder will follow head position. This has resolved my recurrent impingement. My restless leg is an actual spasm and twitch of my hip flexor and that too has resolved with the nightly use of the orthotic. Many thanks again and I will refer patients with those complaints above.
Aloha,
Darryl
(Dr. Darryl Kan, M.D. Orthopedic Surgeon)
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"Receiving the TMJ treatment from Dr. Kurt was life-changing for me...I even had to get steroid injections when the migraines were really bad. Then I began treatment with Dr. Kurt, everything changed....Without Dr. Kurt and the TMJ treatment process, I would still probably be taking medications every day."
"Receiving the TMJ treatment from Dr. Kurt was life-changing for me. I used to get terrible migraines every day and was taking medications every day. even had to get steroid injections when the migraines were really bad. Then I began treatment with Dr. Kurt, everything changed. With the TMJ treatments, my headaches completely went away, as did a lot of my other health issues. I have always suffered from chronic back pain, neck pain, and other various joint pains, and now with the TMJ treatments, I do not have to worry about any of that anymore.
Dr. Kurt makes the TMJ treatment process easy and simple to follow. He keeps you very informed about the process and is very knowledgeable about each step of the treatment. D. Kurt tailors the treatment process according to your needs and he is very thorough when addressing your issues. Without Dr. Kurt and the TMJ treatment process, I would still probably be taking medications every day."
Taylor Pocock, Oahu, HI
January 2019
