When we studied occlusion at Dental School, our textbooks forced the idea of having dots at the back and lines at the front. We are continually told about CR and how to manage patients into canine guidance, but does this all work in practice?

Today we dive into the best way to approach occlusion cases with our patients, keeping in mind that there is no such thing as a silver bullet to treatment. Join Jaz and Dr Michael Melkers in this podcast to learn how it may just be time to throw away the textbooks and begin writing your own conclusions on occlusion… try saying that ten times quickly.

Dental Pearl 

Using PTFE in the dental sulcus offers a better seal compared to cord, functioning like a dam to keep the area free of gingival fluid, ideal for Class 5 restorations. However, PTFE may stick to instruments, which can be mitigated by moistening the instrument with water or saliva before positioning the PTFE, significantly lowering the likelihood of sticking. 

Check out Dr Melkers and Dr Lane Ochi LIVE IN LONDON on 27 and 28 July!

Highlights of the Episode 
00:00 Intro 
02:05 The Protrusive Dental Pearl 
02:52 Dr. Michael Melkers 
02:53 Mentoring Journeys: AES and Beyond
04:04 Foundational Influences: Splint + Occlusion Mastery 
04:30 Fear of Failure: A Dentist’s Drive
05:25 Early Beginnings: Lab Tech to Dental degree 
06:00 Avoiding Full Mouth Rehab: A Dental Mission.
07:20 Homage to a Mentor: The Positive Impact 
07:25 Group Function Vs Canine Guidance
08:00 Beyond textbooks: real-World Dental Challenges 
09:00 Encouragement to Question: A lesson in Bravery 
10:16 Chasing Perfection: A dental dilemma 
12:00 Masters of Occlusion: Group Function Insights 
14:31 Past as Prologue: Learning from destruction 
15:10 Pain Points: Focusing on the At-Risk Patients 
16:53 Smooth Transitions: The Ideal of Disclusion 
18:30 Occlusal Schemes: Debunking the Malocclusion Myth
20:20 CR Reconsidered: The Healthy Majority 
22:44 Diagnostic Vision: Seeing Beyond Occlusion 
25:15 Rebuilding with Purpose: Beyond Aesthetics 
34:35 Appropriate vs Ideal: A New treatment Paradigm 
47:00 Key to Dental Success 

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If you liked this episode please feel free to check out episode PDP160 – Fremitus and Occlusal Overload – Dental Occlusion Geekiness