Finding Occlusally Activated Painful Teeth using T-Scan® III Technology
After almost one year post insertion of some ceramic crowns on teeth #s 14 and 15 (Figure 1),
tooth #14 remained painful to chew on since the day of its delivery. Over the year, the practitioner
attempted a number of times, to adjust this crown but couldn't isolate the contact that was the problem.
Inspection of Figure 1 shows five contacts present on tooth #14 represented by five paper markings;
the actual problem contact could not be determined from the paper marks.
Figure 2b - 5.886 sec; MB #14 spikes up from orange to red
(very forceful) .122 seconds later
A T-Scan III recording was made of the patient clenching and grinding (figures 2a
and b) revealed that spiking occurred on the MB contact of tooth #14.
Post-Treatment Findings after Occlusal Adjustment with T-Scan
Figure 3b - Forces rise only to yellow after .114 sec. The problem
contact forces are lessened and the pain is relieved.
Note that teeth #s 2 and 15 are very forceful, before and during, the recorded grinding
motion. But those teeth are not sore or painful to the patient. As pointed out earlier, often the
tooth that is sore is less forceful than other teeth nearby.
Post adjustment, the new T-Scan III recording illustrates that there is no more spiking up of
the MB contact area to the highest forces
(Figures 3a and b).
Conclusion
The T-Scan III System can aid the clinician in the isolation of painful teeth that are occlusally activated. By employing a
"Clenching and Bruxing" recording that elicits the pain, and locating the spiking of forces within the force movie
playback, it becomes simple to identify which contact is the problem contact. After corrective adjustments are
accomplished, follow up Clenching ands Bruxing recordings will reveal a removal of the spiking of force and noticeable
pain relief for the patient.
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