What happens when you start to move a tooth has been the focus of scientific study since appliances first came into use more than a century ago. There are countless articles describing the physical displacement of a tooth, the effects of compression and decompression of the periodontal tissues, the biochemistry which accompanies the process, etc. It comes as a shock to discover that the widely … [Read more...]
Why the ALF appliance? Part 2
Science now recognizes that there are two types of system in nature. One is known as a closed system and describes what happens with inorganic materials. A closed system functions like a machine. It has entropy, meaning that over time there is increasing disorder, with loss of energy and eventual breakdown. This system acts in a linear way, meaning that a force applied at point A will cause a … [Read more...]
Why The ALF Appliance? Part 1
Over the years, dental practitioners have developed a variety of orthodontic appliance systems—both fixed and removable. What makes the Advanced Light-wire Functional (ALF) Appliance so special? Why has it become the center of so much attention? To answer these questions properly involves much more than just a description of the ALF’s technical features or its use in palatal expansion. The ALF … [Read more...]
Time and the Temporomandibular Joints
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is certainly the most complex joint in the body, which reflects the joint’s wide range of function. If we look at what happens to the joint over a lifespan there are three phases to consider. They are infancy and early childhood, the fully developed adult joint and finally the joint in old age. Much the most attention has been on the adult joint and how to resolve … [Read more...]
Parafunctional Habits
Our patients give us many diagnostic clues if we just take a few moments to observe them. The only difference between Fig 1 and Fig 2 below is the patient is opening her mouth widely, something we as dentists ask of them constantly. To do so, she has tipped her head back rather than just move the mandible. In physical therapy language, she is recruiting the sub-occipital musculature to help her … [Read more...]
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