The Truth About Crossover Interferences
We talk about crossover in our occlusion courses. It is the lateral excursive position where the lower canine moves past the upper canine. If the anterior...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
I Guess Occlusion Does Matter?
This is a case from my failure file. These provisionals kept breaking in the same place. The lower lateral is a provisional on top of an implant temporary...
Steve Ratcliff | 11 years ago ›
When Muscle Harmony Prevents Pain
The forces generated in occlusion are provided by muscle activity. These forces have a physiologic range that creates harmony with the joints and teeth....
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
A young lady came into my practice last week complaining of pain on the right side of her face. Her discomfort had been growing in intensity since she...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
What Can Anthropologists Teach You About Tooth Wear?
It's obviously a progressive condition. People's teeth wear more as they get older. Is tooth wear really a problem? As dentists, of course we feel that...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
Why Are Dentists Afraid of Worn Dentition?
More than any other, the dilemmas presented by the wear patient cause confusion and fear in dentists. Understanding the wear patient is the first step...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
This is the second of a two-part series discussing the philosophy of occlusion. Read part I, Is The Bite Right?. The crucial question of occlusion...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
For many, occlusion is one of the most confusing topics in dentistry. So much of occlusion is unpredictable because it relies on how the patient responds,...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
This individual presented for a restorative evaluation and during the exam reported that his front teeth are sometimes sore. The two images below show...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
This 58-year-old male recently came into my practice for a restorative evaluation. He has a history of nocturnal bruxism and also has evidence of some...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
Sigh … Where are the easy ones? Part 2
You saw this 55-year-old patient in my last blog, 'Sigh...Where Are The Easy Ones? Part 1', so you know that she has a deteriorating joint on the left side...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›
Sigh … Where are the easy ones? Part 1
It has been said that there are no easy cases, and I think that I believe it after the run of new patients I've had the past six months. So, once again,...
Steve Ratcliff | 12 years ago ›