Measured Occlusion: A Dentaltown Podcast on T-Scan, Intraoral Scanners, Articulating Paper, Splint Therapy, and More

The dental industry is constantly evolving. All dentists – no matter if they are a recent graduate, or have decades of experience – can benefit their patients by continuing their education, and seeking out different alternatives for treating general and complex cases.

Dentaltown is a print & digital community focused on education, helping dentists network and share their experiences via message boards, social media, and presentations. Among their many free resources is the “Dentistry Uncensored” podcast, hosted by Dr. Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, and founder of Dentaltown.

In a recent Dentistry Uncensored episode, Dr. Farran interviewed Dr. Robert Kerstein, DMD, and a several-times published clinical researcher on the topic of occlusion. Dr. Kerstein is also one of the first users of T-Scan™ digital occlusal analysis technology since its introduction in the mid-1980s. Over their nearly two-hour conversation, the two covered several topics relating to dental occlusion, and the vast impacts across all areas of dentistry.

Some of the most noteworthy moments include:

As stated by Dr. Farran – “All dentistry relates to caries, perio, and occlusion.” Occlusion is something that affects all dentists and almost all dental procedures. Having a tool that can quantify occlusal dynamics of the bite is vital to every dental practice.
An explanation on the differences between T-Scan and Intraoral Scanning technology, and how these two tools ultimately work together to help the dentist truly understand their patient’s bite.
A discussion on articulating paper marks and the scientifically proven inaccuracies that many dentists still practice today to interpret bite force. In addition, any incorrect interpretation or adjustment can cause an “occlusal cascade” of challenges that may require multiple re-visits and adjustments.
How “single-tooth dentistry” relates similarly to tuning a piano – every adjustment can affect the patient’s entire occlusal environment, requiring a method like T-Scan to assess bite dynamics following adjustments.
How T-Scan has helped dentists “treat” splints and other oral appliances as a method to ensure they are balancing the patient’s bite when in use.