Cranio-Mandibular Evaluation and
Appliance Therapy in the Restorative Practice
The patient owns his present condition. He is asking what you can do about …….. . He is ready to hear the answers. YOU have concerns. Is the patient showing you centric relation or is that a postured position? What about those muscles that are tender to palpation? What about that restricted movement to the left? What about the noise in the right TMJ?
YOU want to do the dentistry! YOU want to do what’s in the patient’s best interest! YOU need to answer some questions so that your plan does both. What’s a conscientious dentist to do?
This is
a daily dilemma for the Comprehensive Dentist. Bite Splint therapy will provide answers to your questions as well as address the best interest of the patient. WIN-WIN-WIN
This program will provide participants with:
A review of cranio-mandibular anatomy
Diagnostic conversation and observation with patients for whom the TMJ may restrict what you can plan
Functional anatomy of the cranio-mandibular system
Evaluation of joints, muscles, and teeth with a goal of determining if the patient is ready for your restorative dentistry
Diagnostic keys in recognizing joint pathology
A rationale for determining what should be treated and what should be referred
A system of diagnostic determination of design, expectations, and follow-up of individualized bite splints
Bite Splint Therapy
Splint therapy is NOT only about TMD, it’s about TMJs. Utilization of splint therapy will enhance your restorative dentistry by bringing patients to a realization that they want what you can offer. Diagnostically based splint therapy lets you plan the Time, The Expectations, and The Appropriate Fee whether it’s a difficult TMD patient or that reluctant occlusal therapy patient.
AFTERNOON
Designing the Occlusion
“I’m a restorative dentist who needs things to work. When designing an occlusion I need a reference. MIP – MYO - CR – Where should I start?”
The toughest thing about designing an occlusion is knowing where to begin. The most confusing thing about occlusion is that all of the philosophies work. Treatment planning appropriate dentistry for your patients requires a reference for your thoughtful consideration of what most effectively serves the best interest of that individual. The treatment recommended may vary greatly depending on the doctor’s belief regarding an appropriate “reference point” from which to plan. Maximum Intercuspal Position, Myocentric, and Centric Relation are references used routinely in dentistry.
This presentation will discuss these three references, how they are located, when each one works and when it will not. Participants will leave with an understanding of the three and how each one fits into their dentistry.
Following this course participants will:
Know the history of occlusal thought and practice
Understand the three reference positions used in dentistry
Be able to locate each of the three reference positions
Know when each is indicated and when it is not
Be able to utilize each of the three references in planning
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Gary earned a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio and a D.D.S. from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed a General Practice Residency at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. In 2004 he earned an M. S. in Biomedical Sciences at The University of Toledo College of Medicine.
From 1981 through 2003 he and his wife, Dr. Cheryl DeWood maintained a private restorative and general family practice in Ohio. Gary spent the next 5 years as a member of the resident faculty at The Pankey Institute before relocating to Seattle and joining Frank Spear as President of The Seattle Institute. Upon the merger of The Seattle Institute with The Scottsdale Center for Dentistry to create the Spear Institute Gary became Executive Vice-President for curriculum.
Gary holds or has held appointments as:
Assistant Professor at The University of Toledo College of Medicine
Associate Professor at The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
linical Director at The Pankey Institute
Director of Business Systems at The Pankey Institute
Director of Marketing and Publications at The Pankey Institute
President of The Seattle Institute
Executive VP for Curriculum of The Spear Institute
Gary has presented to international audiences in the areas of occlusion, temporo-mandibular disorders, bite splint therapy in restorative practices, financial management, and practice management.
Gary is a member of the ADA, the Arizona Dental Association, the Phoenix Dental Society, the American Equilibration Society, the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
