Community Magazine August 2006

 ”  64 Community Magazine by Jacques Doueck, DDS T he frustration of broken teeth, loose teeth, broken caps, chipped laminates, TMJ pain and headaches are all reasons why our office is very strongly in favor of the computer bite measurement called T-Scan™. Over the years we have used the tried and true, blue or red “bite paper”. For most simple dental visits, this is adequate. Bite Paper works like the old fashioned “carbon paper”. When you bite on the blue paper it will leave a mark where the teeth make contact. The problem with the bite paper is that it is inaccurate. Because of the way carbon paper works, the marks do not necessarily correspond to the heaviest force or the first interference in the bite. With the advent of the T-Scan, all that has changed. We can measure the bite intensity from the millisecond that the teeth begin to make contact. What is balanced occlusion (bite)? Dental occlusion refers to the way your teeth meet when you bite together. All upper teeth should come into contact with the lower teeth simultaneously, and with minimal force. When this does not happen, your occlusion is unbalanced and problems may result. How can your bite become balanced? An occlusal exam is very easy. You simply bite down on a thin sensor, which is comfortably shaped to fit the arch of your mouth. Vivid graphics display tooth contact data immediately and accurately, highlighting each tooth and the force level exerted on that tooth during occlusion. This allows you and the dentist to immediately visualize problem areas before you leave the chair that day. With a T-Scan, the computer allows us to see where your teeth hit each other first, which teeth hit the hardest, and which part of your bite is out of balance. The computer actually gives us a “movie” that allows us to measure, make some adjustments and then measure again. And because the bite sensor is only 100 microns thick it allows for very fine accuracy. The T-Scan offers many benefits that are impossible to obtain from “bite paper” alone. That familiar blue or red bite paper does not show the sequential order of teeth coming into contact and it cannot display time or force. As we use the T-Scan, we find that the teeth that show up darkest with the blue bite paper were not the problem. Very often a tooth that has a heavy blue mark with the bite paper is really not hitting very hard. We have also seen that there are teeth with excessive damaging forces that do not even show up on the marking paper. This means that in certain cases, a quick tap of the teeth could sometimes be even more destructive than high intensity grinding. Since the only proven way to obtain this timing and force of contacts is with the T-Scan, it has become a valuable and essential tool for achieving a healthy bite. CM Some effects of poor occlusion: •Broken caps and bridgework - Porcelain crowns are beautiful, but they are still delicate. Excessive force can easily chip your porcelain caps, veneers or bridgework. Even when porcelain is supported by gold, it is still possible to chip or fracture the porcelain if the forces are not balanced properly. •Excess force on implants can lead to early failure - Implants are usually a successful solution. However if there is excessive force on even the best implants, they can fracture or even get lost. •Teeth can become loose or gums may recede - Excessive force will push the teeth and create repeated shocks to the supporting bone and gums. •TMJ - clicking, grinding, or pain in your jaw joints; ringing or buzzing in your ears; and difficulty in opening or closing your mouth could all be due to your teeth not meeting each other properly. • Flattened, worn teeth • Continual sensitivity of your teeth to temperature change When Your Teeth Dont Mesh Using the Computer to Check your Bite