One of the pieces of diagnostic information I look at during a joint & muscle exam is whether the patient can open widely, smoothly, and straight up and down. A deviation on opening is a Read More
Vertical Dimension & Appliance Therapy
Many times I get asked if there is a connection between the vertical dimension of an occlusal appliance and it's effectiveness. The answer is "yes" and "no". There is scientific evidence that supports Read More
Doppler Auscultation
For more As part of a complete joint & muscle exam joint auscultation is necessary. We need to be able to answer the question "Where is the disc relative to Read More
A Nightguard Your Patients Will Wear
Any of you who regularly read my blog know I regularly treat TMD in my practice, both occluso-muscle disorders and joint issues. The first line of defense for many of these patients is an occlusal Read More
Wax Platform Centric Relation Bite Record
I've spent a good deal of time this summer preparing for a hands on occlusion workshop I will be teaching with Mary Osborne and Dr. Mark Kleive in January of next year. The course includes access to a Read More
Opening Vertical And Anterior Guidance
In January of next year the Seattle Study Club Symposium will be in Phoenix. I am excited to be presenting at the meeting for the first time, and my topic is "Implant Reconstruction for the Read More
Diagnosing Attrition
As a follow up to last week's video on diagnosing wear, this video looks specifically at the signs of attrition. Attrition is the loss of tooth structure from rubbing the teeth together. Understanding Read More
Common Causes of Tooth Wear
In this video I discuss the common causes of tooth wear. Although attrition, or grinding, is prevalent, it is not the only cause of tooth wear. In order to understand the risks the patient presents Read More
Direct Composite for Repairing Worn Incisal Edges
It is routine to see patients with lower incisal edges that are worn into the dentin. The wear can be from attrition or from erosion, and is often a combination of the two. When dentin is exposed and Read More
When is Appliance Therapy Complete
Last week teaching a hands on equilibration course one of the participants told a story about a new patient to his office who was in active appliance therapy and frustrated because the former dentist Read More