Dentistry Gone Digital

Dentistry Gone Digital

Fixed-Implant-Bridge

Considerations of Treatment Planning a Maxillary Implant Prosthesis

March 15, 2024

By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com When we have patients with an existing maxillary denture who want to transition to some type of implant prosthesis, there are many things to consider when we are treatment planning these types of cases. The number…

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stabilize the joints

How to Stabilize the Joints

March 8, 2024

By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com If we have a symptomatic TMD patient and are trying to figure out, can we make this patient better or comfortable? How can we stabilize the joints? Go Back to the Complete Examination What does the examination…

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financial industry

Are You a “dentist” or a “Dentist”?

March 6, 2024

By: Todd Doobrow, CFP When patients come to your office, they know who they think you are. They assume you not only have an undergrad degree but continued your education for another four years and graduated from an accredited dental school. You might have even continued further to a GPR or residency program. You have…

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centric relation

How Do You Know If You Achieved Centric Relation?

March 1, 2024

By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.comLearn about Occlusion at TheDawsonAcademy.com When we talk about utilizing bimanual manipulation as a way to get centric relation, one of the biggest misunderstandings we see is the tendency for dentists to think CR is achieved by forcing the jaw back…

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dental assistant thinking about how to earn more money

Help…My Dental Assistant Wants More Money!

February 26, 2024

By: Ronda Holman Hi dear reader, my name is Ronda Holman and I have been sitting across from a dentist for a living for the last 25 years. I thought it might be time to make some written confessions as to what I have been guilty of over the years and how my dentist was…

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load test tmjs

Dentists: Why Should You Load Test the TMJs?

February 23, 2024

By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com Properly loading the joints tells you several things about the root cause of some patients’ problems. This will also determine how functionally stable the patient is. Let’s start with the first item. 1. Indicate if the Joint is Healthy You’re going to…

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changing vertical dimension

Changing Vertical Dimension: When is it Safe?

February 16, 2024

By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com If you follow The Dawson Academy protocols, altering the vertical dimension is going to be the exception rather than the rule. We can work with the vast majority of patients vertical dimension and still fulfill the five requirements for occlusal stability and get a…

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How Does the Occlusal Plane Relate to the Anterior Teeth? By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDS Clinical Director, The Dawson Academy The Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com One of the most common mistakes I see in occlusal restorations is also the easiest mistake to observe. It is interference of the posterior teeth with the anterior guidance. A perfected occlusion allows the anterior teeth to contact in centric relation simultaneously and with equal intensity with the posterior teeth. This harmony of contacts occurs with complete seating of the condyles at their most superior position, which is bone braced. This means that there is an ideal distribution of compressive contact starting at the TMJs, and continuing all the way through front tooth contact. This is the contact distribution that we want for centric relation. When the jaw moves from centric relation, in a perfected occlusion only the anterior teeth contact. All posterior teeth distal to the cuspids should immediately separate. This is called “posterior disclusion”. Separation of the posterior teeth should occur, whether the jaw moves forward, left, or right from centric relation. The reason that posterior disclusion is such a desired effect is that the moment the posterior teeth separate, almost all of the elevator muscles shut off. This reduces the horizontal forces against the anterior teeth which are carrying all the forces in protrusive or lateral movements of the mandible. it also reduces the loading forces on the TMJ’s. But even more importantly, it is impossible to wear or overload the posterior teeth if they cannot rub. Keep Reading: How to Use Splints in Your Treatment Plan

How Does the Occlusal Plane Relate to the Anterior Teeth?

February 9, 2024

By: Dr. Leonard A. Hess, DDSClinical Director, The Dawson AcademyThe Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com One of the most common mistakes I see in occlusal restorations is also the easiest mistake to observe. It is interference of the posterior teeth with the anterior guidance. A perfected occlusion allows the anterior teeth to contact in centric…

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3 Fatal Flaws of Denture Design

February 2, 2024

Overcoming these 3 common flaws will give you very happy patients! By: Dr. Kimberly Daxon, D.D.S.The Article Originally Appeared on TheDawsonAcademy.com There are three main areas that need attention when designing complete denture prostheses. When these three things are not accomplished, it can lead to misfits and patient dissatisfaction. I see it all the time.…

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invest for the future or fomo

Invest For the Future – or FOMO?

January 31, 2024

Treating your savings as another “must pay” bill is more likely to set you up for long-term success,but still allows you to enjoy life along the way.  By: Todd Doobrow, CFP Let’s go ahead and get it out there – I don’t like budgets. The concept is great, but in reality, very few people stick to…

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