Category:

Occlusion

Course Outline

What is Occlusion?

The aim of this series of papers is to explore the role of occlusion in dental practice. The range of opinion in the dental profession as to the importance of occlusion is enormous.1 It is very important that the profession in general and practising dentists in particular have a balanced view of occlusion. This is more important than every patient having a balanced occlusion. The fact that the study of occlusion is characterised by extremes makes it confusing and possibly difficult for individual dentists to find a philosophy which is in line with contemporary good practice supported by evidence from practice-based research.

The Examination and Recording of the Occlusion: why and howBefore presenting ‘how’ the examination and recording of the occlusion may be achieved, some attempt should be made to justify ‘why’ it is necessary. It may appear to be a strange way of justifying the need to examine the patient’s occlusion, but this will initially involve a study of the influences of mandibular movements.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course you’ll be able to:

  1. Explore the role of occlusion in dental practice.
  2. Describe the articulating system.
  3. Discuss the significance of centric relation.
  4. Define ideal occlusion.
  5. Describe the anatomy, function, and parafunction of individual madibular muscles.
  6. Perform anterior guidance examination.
  7. Record a patient’s occlusion, using ideal occlusion.

Course Contents

1. What is Occlusion?

  • The Importance of Occlusion in Dental Practice
  • Analysis of Occlusion
    • Static Occlusion
    • Dynamic Occlusion
    • Ideal Occlusion
  • Definition of Ideal Occlusion
  • The Importance of Ideal Occlusion as a Concept
    • Pretreatment Examination and Records
    • Treatment of Pain Dysfunction Syndrome (PDS)
    • Conformative Versus Reorganised Approach
  • Factors Determining a Patient’s Reaction to an Occlusion
  • Risk Management
  • Guidelines of Good Occlusal Practic

2. The Examination and Recording of the Occlusion: Why and How

  • Neuromuscular Control
    • The Muscles
    • Individual Mandibular Muscles
    • Lateral Pterygoid Muscle
    • The Medial Pterygoid Muscle
    • Digastric Muscle
    • Mylohyoid Muscle
    • Suprahyoid, Infrahyoid and Cervical Muscles
  • Neural Pathways
  • The Guidance Systems
    • Posterior Guidance
    • Anterior Guidance
  • Relevance of a Study of Guidance Systems to Occlusion
    • Articulatory System: Occlusal Harmony?
  • Examination of the Occlusion
    • Introduction
    • The Three Question Examination
  • Recording of the Occlusion
    • Two Dimensional Records of the Patient’s Occlusion
    • Three Dimensional Record of the Patient’s Occlusion
    • Discussion
    • Technique
    • Facebows
  • Guidelines for Good Occlusal Practice