Occlussion- The Key To the Success of Dental Treatment

Occlusion, in a dental context, means simply the contact between teeth.

More technically, it is the relationship between the maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth when they approach each other, as occurs during chewing or at rest.

It is actually the Bite or Relation between the Upper and Lower Teeth .

For Us as dentists its important that We can Replicate the original Bite in The Patients Mouth .

If Bite is Messed Up with or Not Given the Importance it Needs . The Teeth tend to grind onto each other and May lead to a lot of Unusual Pains in the Gum Joint Problem’s Related to Occlussion.

A Incorrect Occlusion can cause a number of problems, not just with teeth, but with the supporting bone and surrounding soft (gum) tissue, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ie the Jaw Joint , and Jaw muscles.

Teeth, fillings, and crowns may wear, break, or loosen, and teeth may be tender or ache. Receding gums can be exacerbated by a faulty bite.

TMJ problems, called temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ syndrome, can include clicking, grinding, or pain in the jaw joint, ringing or buzzing in the ears, and difficulty in opening and closing the mouth.

If the jaw is improperly positioned, jaw muscles may have to work harder, which can lead to fatigue and or muscle spasms. This in turn can lead to headaches or migraines, eye or sinus pain, and pain in the neck, shoulder, or even back. Untreated damaging malocclusion can lead to occlusal trauma which can lead to loosening of the teeth, excessive wear of the teeth and drifting of the teeth into new positions.

Some of the treatments for different occlusal problems include tooth adjustments, replacement of teeth, medication (usually temporary), a diet of softer foods, and relaxation therapy for stress-related clenching.

Fixed appliances, known as orthodontics or braces, may be used to adjust the occlusion, and removable appliances, called occlusal splints, may be used to remove pain in the TMJ, prevent further damage and wear of the teeth and supporting structures.

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But how does the mouth work from an occlusion standpoint ?

The front teeth protect the back teeth by providing for a plane of guidance during protruding the jaw outside , thus allowing the cusps of the back teeth to move away rather than strike one another during lateral or protrusive movements from centric relation.

To put it Simply , the back teeth have much larger crowns and many more cusps (elevations on the top surfaces) than the front teeth.

Because of this the upper teeth and those of the lower teeth have an opportunity to bang into each other during chewing, speech or simply meeting together when one bites down. To prevent this from happening, the anterior teeth of each arch will, ideally, be situated so as to come into contact before the cusps of the posterior teeth do, thus averting such a situation.

The back teeth protect the front teeth by providing a stable vertical dimension of occlusion.

While front teeth may retain their natural position even after loss of posterior teeth, the masticatory forces will eventually cause the single-rooted anterior to splay, thus leading to a collapsed bite.

Occlusal splints (also called bite splints, bite planes, or night guards) are removable dental appliances carefully molded to custom fit the upper or lower arches of teeth of a patient.

They are used to protect teeth/implants and restoration surfaces, manage jaw dysfunction, and stabilize occlusion or create space prior to restoration procedures.

Patients prone to bruxism (nighttime clenching or grinding), should routinely wear occlusal splints at night to take stress of the TMJ and its a associated muscles and prevent damage to the teeth/implants and associated bone and soft (gum) tissue.

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Occlusal splints are made of acrylic resin. There are several types of splints and these may be hard, soft or combination of hard and soft materials.

Soft splints have a memory and a tendency to cause “rebound” chewing in patients and are not as durable as hard splints

The splint generally covers all the teeth of the upper or lower arch, but partial coverage is sometimes used. Occlusal splints are usually used on either the upper or the lower teeth, termed maxillary splints or mandibular splints respectively.

We favor mandibular (lower) splints as they are less likely to interfere with speech and can be worn during the day without being obvious like a maxillary (upper) teeth .

Hence Occlussion is a very integral and important aspect of Smile Makeovers , Even a Simple Crown , or a Single Filling / Restoration.