Practical Occlusion: Putting the Theory into Practice NEWCASTLE

Practical Occlusion: Putting the Theory into Practice

PRACTICAL OCCLUSION: PUTTING THE THEORY INTO PRACTICE – cutting through the confusion to deliver complex restorative dentistry in the real world of general dental practice

Undergraduate Occlusal teaching in the UK could charitably be described as limited at best, and perhaps downright confusing at worst. Furthermore, such occlusal teaching remains stubbornly confined to the theoretical when the profession is crying out for some practical guidance.

With many confusing, perhaps irrelevant, terms such as Bennet Movement and Immediate Side Shift, to name but two, Academia is still pushing highly complex occlusal theories which require clinicians to be both highly intelligent and exceptionally well-informed just to be undecided about them.

Consequently, it’s perhaps not surprising that many clinicians are confused, and hence daunted about offering the treatment many of their patients desperately need. Meanwhile, the legacy of single tooth dentistry, has left a generation crying out for solutions to their collapsing dentitions.

In times past, dental treatment was so firmly focussed on treating decay that we often overlooked our patients’ deteriorating Periodontal condition. Nowadays modern dentistry claims to embrace a more comprehensive approach to dental health, yet as a profession we have been slow to embrace the importance of occlusal issues within our overall treatment philosophy. Will our future patients forgive our negligence?

The very real problem for today’s clinicians is how to convert the “nuts and bolts” of the various occlusal theories into a workable occlusal approach within our practices.

Based upon the teachings of Dr John Kois of Seattle, a logical step by step process will be outlined enabling the general dentist to approach the often confusing world of Occlusion with increasing confidence. Dr Ken Harris is the leading exponent of the Kois occlusal philosophy here in the UK, and the aim of this presentation is to describe in great detail, with reference to numerous actual treated cases, the streamlined yet workable approach to Occlusion he uses on a daily basis in the general practice environment.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the presentation the delegates will be able to:

1. Acknowledge the limitations and subsequent frustrations caused by the conventional methods of teaching occlusion at undergraduate level.
2. Accept that the strength of the Restorative Material cannot overcome improper occlusal management.
3. Recognise the importance of achieving a consistent Mandibular Hinge Axis before embarking upon a complex restorative treatment plan, and how to accurately record this position using a Kois Occlusal Deprogrammer. (Centric Relation)
4. Visualise how a correctly balanced occlusal scheme would look and sound when the teeth are opened and closed during function, and how to achieve it. (Equilibration).
5. Appreciate the relevance of a stable and precise Envelope of Function and how to create it. (Anterior Guidance)
6. Understand how a simple three-step protocol based upon the occlusal teaching of Dr John Kois can facilitate the delivery of a stable restorative treatment plan no matter how complex.

This presentation will deliver the following GDC CPD Learning Outcome: Outcome C