Dr. Frank Spear Releases 3 New Occlusion Courses

Learn from one of dentistry’s most respected clinicians and educators, Dr. Frank Spear, in three new Spear Online courses focused on clinical strategies to address occlusion.

In the past, changing a patient's occlusion could be unpredictable, but today’s clinicians can treat these often-complex cases with greater precision thanks in part to what dentists now know about muscles, joints and airway.

The new courses go in-depth on occlusal factors, concepts and assessments.

Factors in Establishing Maximum Intercuspation (MIP)

In this course, Dr. Spear highlights options for establishing the intercuspal position, including using muscles to position the mandible, plus airway and joint concerns. He also discusses how to use a fully seated condylar position.

Learn the benefits and risks of using the fully seated condylar position, plus examine normal and abnormal temporomandibular joint anatomy. Find out how different structural changes within the joint impact where to position the condyle when establishing intercuspal position.

After completing this course, doctors will feel more confident in their ability to:

• Discuss the requirements needed to establish MIP
• Express the different options available to establish MIP
• Relate how and when to use centric relation to establish MIP
• Explain how the occlusion impacts joint loading

Managing Occlusion in Clinical Practice

When considering new restorations, even for a single tooth, clinicians must know how to assess occlusal risks, which can potentially destabilize the bite and cause other problems. In this course, Dr. Spear breaks down the four key mandibular positions to evaluate occlusion, as well as the occlusal goals for treatment of each.

After completing this course, doctors will feel more confident in their ability to:

• Assess the risk of using existing occlusion
• Identify different guidance options and express when to use them
• Develop end-to-end and crossover occlusion
• Describe when to consider using a fully seated condylar position

Occlusal Concepts & Philosophies: Current Knowledge vs. Classic Beliefs

This course takes the confusion out of occlusion as Dr. Spear traces occlusal concepts and philosophies from classic to current thinking.

Discover how science has changed over the last 30 years regarding canine-guided and group function occlusion and hear new ways of thinking about muscles, joints and airway.

After completing this course, doctors will feel more confident in their ability to:

• Recall the most common questions a clinician must answer about occlusion
• Discuss the historical and literary basis for different occlusal concepts
• Relate how current literature varies from some of the traditional occlusal concepts
• Explain what these changes mean for how occlusion is approached today