More Than Normal Wear and Tear: Bite Disease

Prosthodontists are interested in your bite, the way your teeth come together and mesh together--and that is known as your "occlusion".  Jose-Luis Ruiz, DDS, FAGD, in Inside Dentistry, noted in an excellent monograph that "occlusal disease" impairs normal function:

• masticatory: chewing difficulty due to muscle pain, tooth pain, missing teeth, and jaw joint problems
• phonetic: tooth fractures, tooth mobility and bone loss lead to missing teeth
• esthetic: disfiguring tooth wear and tooth loss caused by fractured teeth
• periodontal and endodontic problems

Signs and symptoms include pathological wear, tooth sensitivity, tooth mobility, cracked teeth, bite sensitivities, vertical bone loss, pain and tired chewing muscles, and jaw joint pain.  Dr. Ruiz states that Occlusal Disease cannot be cured but can be managed with proper therapy.

For the entire article: www.dentalaegis.com/id/2014/01

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309