Dawson Academy Seminar One

Most dentists have questions about occlusion, TMD and functional smile design. This seminar will answer these questions and more.

1. Is it safe to restore a patient with a clicking joint?
2. Should anterior teeth always contact in Centric Relation?
3. How long can a patient wear an anterior deprogrammer like an NTI?
4. With a cuspid single tooth implant, would the occlusal forces be more stable with a partial group function on other anterior teeth?
5. When restoring severely worn upper anterior teeth, can you add to the labial contour without interfering with the neutral zone?
6. What does it mean when a patient wears deep groves into an occlusal splint?
7. What role does stress play in TMD?
8. How do skeletal changes impact the neutral zone?
9. How soon after the orthodontist opens a deep bite to make room for veneers is it safe to proceed with restorations?
10. Is it necessary to use face-bow mounted casts for routine single crowns on equilibrated, nonsymptomatic patients?
11. Where do I start when the vertical is over closed and teeth are all severely worn?
12. Some smile design techniques advocate widening the arch into the buccal corridor to optimize esthetics. How does this impact the neutral zone?
13. How significant is anterior guidance to obtaining a stable result?
14. Why does a patient complain of pain on the opposite side of a high restoration?
15. When is it safe to change vertical dimension and when is it not safe to do so?
16. How can you be sure the TMJs are healthy before starting treatment?
17. How do I get patients to understand the need for equilibration and to accept the treatment?
18. Can I obtain a CR bite record by using a lucia jig or leaf gauge?
19. When restoring a severely worn dentition, how is vertical dimension determined?
20. Why do my patients often think their upper anterior restorations are too long?

You will learn:

• Why all occlusion starts with the TMJs and how to be specific in classifying the exact condition of the joints.
• Why centric relation is the most important concept to understand. How to determine it, verify it and use it. How to defuse all the misconceptions. Nothing in dentistry is more important.
• Why the anterior guidance is the second most important factor in all occlusal treatment and a key to anterior esthetics. You should never have to guess about a single decision regarding contour or position of front teeth.
• Why success in occlusal treatment depends on a peaceful neuromuscular system and how to achieve it. How to diagnose and solve problems of muscle hyperactivity and TMD pain.
• Why the vertical dimension is important. When you can change it and when you should not change it. How to determine it and why there is so much confusion about it. The fallacies of “bite raising” explained.
• Why the neutral zone is so critical to long term stability and esthetics. How it affects the position of every tooth. How to determine it.
• Why the occlusal plane is so important to both anterior teeth and posterior teeth. How, when and why to change it.
• Why occlusal contacts must be in perfect harmony with both the TMJs and the anterior teeth and what happens when they interfere. How to absolutely guarantee occlusal comfort predictably.
• Why the envelope of function must be considered whenever anterior teeth are moved or restored. How to determine the exact position and inclination of anterior teeth. You will never need to guess.
• Why Long Centric is important but so often misunderstood. How to determine it exactly (no guessing).
• You will learn precise guidelines for determining the most natural esthetic contour and position for both anterior teeth and posterior teeth
• You will take the mystery out of occlusal splints including deprogrammer splints - what they do and do not do. How to make the right occlusal splint for the right reason.