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Dental Occlusion & T-Scan™ Digital Scanner

TScan Occlusal Photo

What is Dental Occlusion? 

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums can be considered the most critical component of dental care, but ensuring a balanced force distribution during biting is also essential to oral health. A patient has dental occlusion (malocclusion) when their bite is not aligned correctly. Dental occlusion evaluations can identify current and previously undiagnosed dental disorders that could impact oral and overall health. A misaligned bite affects the patient’s dental health, leading to additional chronic issues, including sleep-disordered breathing and airway health. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can address and cure occlusion issues.

Signs and Symptoms of Malocclusion

If you experience any of these signs and symptoms, contact our office today for an evaluation.

  • Tooth Movement
  • Change in Bite
  • Grinding or Clenching Teeth, Bruxism
  • Tightness in the Jaw
  • Headaches Near the Eye or Jaw Area
  • Tooth Sensitivity to Heat, Cold, or Sweets
  • Tooth sensitivity after eating and biting
  • Teeth Breaking easy
  • Jaw pain
  • Jaw tension
  • Dental erosion, excessive wear and tear
  • Fractured or loosened teeth or dental restorations
  • Cracked or chipped teeth
  • Notches on the bottom of your teeth

Signs and Symptoms of Malocclusion

Normal Dental Occlusion

At Dental Partners of Vero Beach, each patient receives a dental occlusion evaluation that includes the following methods of analysis and assessment:

  • Extensive Health History, including a Sleep Risk Assessment
  • Consultation that reviews your dental and overall health
  • Comprehensive Dental Examination that includes an evaluation of not only your teeth for cavities, gums checked, analysis of your bite, head and neck muscles review, an oral cancer screening is performed, evaluation of the function of the jaw joints temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and airway.
  • Vatech Green2 CBCT Scans of your head, jaw, neck, and airway in three-dimensional images, which can be viewed on a computer monitor.
  • T-Scan Impression Technology Scan

T-Scan™ Digital Impression Technology for Occlusal Evaluations

One of the most common diagnostic tools for understanding the relationship of the teeth during movements such as eating and speaking was occlusal articulating paper. The articulating paper was used by biting down on it to mark the patient's bite and alignment.

Dental Partners of Vero Beach uses T-Scan™ advanced technology to efficiently and accurately assess occlusal alignment and achieve optimal bite comfort. Analyzing the teeth with a digital scanner, we efficiently and accurately measure the location and determine the amount of reshaping and precise adjustments needed to achieve optimal bite comfort. Using the intraoral T-Scan™, our team utilizes one of the finest restoration technologies available, making our patients' dental visits less time-consuming and more pleasant.

Treatment Solutions to Correct Bite and Function

If your dentist finds that you have a dental occlusion, treatment options are available.

Occlusal Adjustment.  Malocclusion is primarily treated with an occlusal adjustment. This involves reshaping the chewing and biting surfaces of the teeth to correct the alignment of your bite. This treatment is the most conservative, predictable, and safest option. Once the teeth are adjusted, they should all come into contact simultaneously, reducing stress in some regions of your mouth."

Restorative Treatments.  In some cases, a full or partial mouth restoration may be an option for occlusal treatment. Restorative Treatment options may include crowns, bridges, or dental implants.

Custom Occlusal Appliances.  Custom occlusal appliances, or splints, are developed through an outside lab or may be created in our office using our CAD/CAM technology and our 3-D printer, depending upon the appliance's need. These occlusal splints apply light force to retrain muscle function and naturally align the teeth for an optimal bite force.

Airway Orthodontics.   Airway Orthodontics offers orthodontic treatments such as Invisalign clear aligners or traditional braces to help straighten teeth, restore balance, and improve the normal functioning of the mouth while improving airway health.

Learn More about Adult Airway Orthodontics

Myofunctional Therapy.  Our team collaborates with trained myofunctional therapists (OMT) to address bite imbalances or misalignments that can significantly impact overall health and sleep-disordered breathing. The OMT plays a positive role in improving swallowing, proper tongue posture and position, and overall muscle function by teaching proper nasal breathing and encouraging proper airway development. This can also reduce the likelihood of relapse of previous and active orthodontic treatment.

Learn More Myofunctional Therapy

Benefits of Bite Correction

  • Restore Self-Confidence
  • Prevent Enamel Tear & Wear
  • Proper Chewing Power
  • Pain Free Functionality
  • Improve Appearance
  • Enhance Overall Dental Health
  • Better Functionality for Chewing, Biting, and Using the Jaw
  • Improve Speech

Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Occlusion

What Would Happen If Dental Occlusion Issues Were Not Treated?

If malocclusion is not treated, it can lead to further problems such as:

  • Painful jaw conditions, such as TMJ (temporomandibular joints)
  • Tooth decay and gum disease due to food getting stuck in between teeth
  • Speech impediments caused by misalignment of the jaws
  • Inability to properly clean teeth, leading to plaque buildup
  • Difficulty chewing or speaking.
What Habits Affect Proper Occlusion?
Habits can influence the occlusion, development, and position of both upper and lower jaws. Breathing through the mouth, thumb sucking, and poor swallowing patterns all influence the occlusion.
What are the factors affecting the occlusion of teeth?
Soft tissue factors: The muscles of the tongue, lips, and cheeks are crucial in guiding the teeth into their final position. Variations in muscle form and function can affect the position and occlusion of the teeth. All muscles exert their influence by their sites of origin and insertion.
What are the problems with having occlusion?
Occlusion-related problems are called 'occlusal' problems. These problems may include misaligned teeth, excessive wear, frequent breakage, fractured fillings, or loose crowns. Symptoms of occlusal problems may also include tooth tenderness when biting and constant aching.
Looking for a practice in the Floridas Treasure Coast area? Contact us at 772-569-4118 to schedule an appointment today!

Contact our office today to schedule your appointment!

Dental Partners of Vero Beach
3790 7th Terrace, Suite 201
Vero Beach, FL 32960
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