CE: Functional Occlusion

NEW THIS YEAR:

Online registration/payment is not accepted for CDA/RDH/Admin or non-VicDDS members dentists. To sign up, please email info@vicdds.ca with the list of names and any dietary allergies, and pay by etransfer, cheque, or request a PayPal invoice (+3.2% surcharge). Thank you!

• CDA/RDH/Admin:  $75.00
• Non-VicDDS  member dentists: $195.00

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Functional Occlusion

Program Description

• You will learn how to use a short questionnaire that will identify parafunctional and dysfunctional patients.
• You will learn that there are only 2 functions that matter for occlusion.
• You will learn the 3 criteria for establishing healthy, functional occlusion for your restorations.
• You will learn of the 3 specific areas affected by the unhealthy, destructive forces generated by dental malocclusions/occlusal dysfunction.
• You will learn why thin marking materials, hard acrylic splints and computer sensors will not always give you reliable, accurate occlusal information for patients with occlusal dysfunction or parafunction.
• You will learn how to use a quick, 3-minute, 3-step, dynamic, 3-dimensional diagnostic approach to reliably and accurately diagnose dysfunction and healthy function.
• You will learn what are the only 3 dental malocclusions.
• You will learn how to screen parafunctional patients or patients with joint symptoms so that you identify occlusal dysfunction as the correct etiology as opposed to patients with TMD.
• You will learn a quick, superficial, non-invasive, 4-step treatment sequence to treat occlusal dysfunction.
• You will learn the only 3 criteria for making any adjustments on your restorations or your patients' dentitions in a predictable, safe manner.
• You will learn the importance of finding/identifying any working and non-working interferences.
• You will learn the potential negative consequences to your dentistry of not finding/identifying and then eliminating these working and non-working interferences.
• You will learn how focusing on healthy occlusion will make your dentistry more efficient, easier and more successful and satisfying.

Bio

Dr. Lea graduated from UBC Dental School in 1980. He has been a solo, general practitioner on Salt Spring Island for over 40 years. For most of that time, he also treated patients requiring complex orthopedic and fixed orthodontics. He has been diagnosing and treating occlusal problems, joint pain, reduced function, and general bite imbalances for well over 20 years. He has spoken on this topic at Chicago's Midwinter Clinic, New York's GNYDM, Florida's Dental Conference in Orlando, several times at Vancouver's PDC and at several other dental meetings in Vancouver, Boston and Vancouver Island.

He is keenly aware of the well-known and highly-regarded individuals who speak on this aspect of dentistry, but has found that their procedures and beliefs have not given him and his patients the affordable, consistent, stable results that he was hoping for. Initially, in his practice, he referred patients with 'TMJ' to Dr. David Bowler, in Sidney, BC. Dr. Bowler studied myofascial pain and dysfunction under Dr. Janet Travell. Dr. Bowler introduced to him, in fits and starts, some of his ideas, diagnostic concepts and treatments that he had found to be very helpful in relieving patients of their occlusal problems and establishing stable, comfortable bites. Unfortunately, Dr. Bowler passed away before Dr. Lea could understand his complete diagnostic approach and treatment system. It took Dr. Lea several years to work out a simple, easily-applied, affordable yet still economically practical and effective way to integrate what he had begun to learn from Dr. Bowler that he could now apply to his own patients suffering from occlusal problems that often led to uncomfortable, even painful, joint symptoms. Dr. Lea is now very confident with the protocol that he has developed for the diagnosis and treatment of occlusal problems and for relieving patients of discomfort and reduced jaw function. He is very excited to share it with you now.