Shirley has been self-conscious about her smile her whole life. She knew
by the way her teeth were wearing, something was not right with her bite.
After thousands of dollars spent on piecemeal dentistry, she wanted to
address the problem and not just the symptoms. Rejuvenation Dentistry
gave her a stable bite and a beautiful smile that will last her entire lifetime.
Tom was driven to treatment due to a failing implant. He was referred by an
oral surgeon due to extreme wear and overload. He required a full mouth
rejuvenation with porcelain.
Photo by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
co-founded the Texas Center for Occlusal Studies to address this
gap in dental training. In July 2014, they launched a residency
program to teach dentists techniques to address their patients’
problems from a perspective of understanding exactly how the
mouth and jaw function. Attendees learn techniques to stabilize
the condyle, correct form and occlusion, and restore proper vertical dimension of the teeth with minimally invasive techniques
using very conservative measures.
The principles and techniques of rejuvenation dentistry also
help dentists provide relief for habitual snorers, who represent
60 percent of men and 40 percent of women over the age of 40.
“The airway is an integral component of the oral system,”
Dr. Herre points out. “By returning proper vertical dimension,
the airway is often opened up enough to improve or eliminate
snoring.”
Daniel O’Rourke, CDT, who serves as co-director of the residency program at The Texas Center for Occlusal Studies, leads
the clinical laboratory training and teaches techniques in rejuvenation dentistry to attending technicians. “Because our program is based on a model of health, it completely alters the
existing paradigm.”
Dr. Stewart adds, “In this program, attendees learn what optimal form and function look like. Since a stable condyle is the
root of balanced, harmonious function, they learn how to use a
Condylar Centering Orthotic to stabilize the condyle through
highly precise and refined manipulation, and how to verify that
ideal stabilization has been achieved.”
Dr. Herre emphasizes the importance of the residency in building relationships and synergy between technicians and dentists.
“We encourage doctors to bring their technicians to the pro-
The Texas Center for Occlusal Studies offers a program of instruction to
dentists, dental technicians and other dental professionals that focuses on
the benefits of rejuvenation dentistry.
gram. Having a team who fully understands the goa