We believe dentists have a massive impact on the lives of their patients. Regardless of how big or small a dental treatment, it has the potential to affect the overall function of the head and neck.
Functional dentistry is the future of dentistry.
"The Secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well.”
John D. Rockefeller
Can you believe the majority of dentists don't know where the teeth should contact?
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I mean, really, where exactly should each tooth contact for proper function of the mandible?
I had no clue either.
If you've ever prescribed an occlusal guard for a patient, we at least need to talk.
Because if a patient is grinding and clenching, guess what? Most dentists make them an occlusal guard.
That’s a sign something is wrong. And its a problem because...Most dentists were trained to set the bite in the same centric occlusion.
Same bite, same symptoms.
If you use the same bite that the patient is grinding in, guess what?
They're just going to grind away, except… on acrylic.
And, the whole time, the patient is still developing other symptoms of the head and neck like muscle tension, headaches, and even ear pain.
That’s not a great solution....
Don't worry, I did the same thing too. And do you know what? I still had crowns fracturing and veneers popping off. I had patients that still developed recession from clenching. And I had patients coming back to adjust their occlusion on brand new composites and crowns.
My mindset of occlusion wasn’t correcting the problem.
It was masking it.
At one point in my career, I became frustrated. I felt like a contradiction. My practice was moderately successful, but guess what? I didn’t necessarily feel successful.
I felt like I was on a hamster wheel.
And then it dawned on me. Maybe my whole philosophy of occlusion and mandibular function was incomplete.
That’s the notion I had when it all started to shift.
I realized functional dentistry wasn’t just some specialized form of dentistry. All dentistry was functional dentistry.
Once I changed my philosophy, everything changed for me.
Treatment success. New patient flow. My revenue. It all started to grow.
And it wasn’t from some miraculous marketing. All I did was reframe the way I understood dentistry.
The reality is that the health of the teeth and gums is important, but the sum is much greater than the parts.
Patients want to smile, laugh, talk, and eat. They want aesthetic function. They want healthy function.
That’s our real value to them.
But here’s the deal. A large majority of dental patients have functional issues.
Patients are suffering.
Headaches are on the rise. Muscle pain is on the rise. And we as dentists either don't realize it or don't know how to treat it. That’s a huge miss for our patients and a lost opportunity for our practices.
Well that all changed for me.
It changed when I stopped pretending that I was anything other than what I was. It changed when I started focusing all my energy on what really mattered to patients. It changed with the TMJ Relax® philosophy.
And for that, I am forever grateful.
So what does this all mean?
It means I believe in you. It means dentistry needs improving. And most importantly, it means you are part of the solution.
If I can do it, you can too.
Dr. Charles Sutera
Featured In
Half the fun is in the journey. Here's what you can look forward:
The TMJ Education Masterclass
This is an 11 module course that gives dentists access to:
16 Continuing Education Credit Hours
11 Modules of Course Content
Become TMJ Relax® Accredited Provider
Gain TMJ Relax®Marketing Lead Access
Learn online at your own pace
In it, you will discover the surprising key things you need to focus on to provide the ideal TMJ treatment and how to create a standardized and consistent approach to even the most functionally complex patients.
You will become a TMJ Relax Accredited Provider and get trained to the highest standard of practice of patient care within the industry. Your practice will benefit from:
Give us a few months and we will redefine the way you feel about your practice, your revenue, and most importantly... the lives of your patients.
Take a look inside the courses which makeup the TMJ Education Masterclass:
The Pillars of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Diagnosis ™
In this prerequisite course, we go over all the essential foundations needed to diagnose TMJ disorder, so that you can recognize the key signs that will give your patients the answers they need and allow you to elevate your level of care.
If you’re ready to expand your practice, here’s a peek inside the course:
The Pillars of TMJ Disorder Diagnosis™ Course Objectives
Discover what you need to focus on to provide the ideal TMJ treatment and the answer may surprise you
Learn how to recognize when tunnel vision is distorting clinical judgment
Understand how to easily isolate the initial cause of several complex symptoms of chronic pain
...
Learn the analogies of how to explain TMJ harmony to patients
Understand the physics of the mandible and how the mandible must function both as a hammock and a doorway
Learn about the muscle of mastication, how they function, and what causes dysfunction
Demystify the most misunderstand principles of how dental occlusion affects dental function
Understand how to simply achieve ideal occlusion every time
Learn how the anterior teeth can create drastic effects on mandibular function
Learn a technique to find interferences in the occlusion in seconds without any expensive equipment
Understand the principles to prevent functional and aesthetics issues with your orthodontic cases
Build awareness of how dental treatments can cause temporomandibular disorders to develop inadvertently in the future
Understand the biggest mistake dentists make when treating bruxism and how to prevent it
Understand the progression of myalgia from protective co-contraction to centrally mediated myalgia
Learn why as a dentist you need to be thinking about symptoms of ear pain, ear fullness, and ear ringing more than you probably do
Clarify when jaw clicking is concerning and when it is not, and how to treat clicking in any situation
Understand how to confidently tackle severe cases of lockjaw, how to prevent it in the future, and what caused it in the first place
Learn why functional issues occur in all classes of occlusion and how to treat issues unique to each class of occlusion
Demystify the concept of internal derangement to tackle it with confidence and predictability
Understand when an MRI is indicated and when it is not
Learn how to manage neurology, psychology, and stress as factors in the treatment of chronic pain
Learn the one simple character attribute you can focus on as a provider to increase your treatment acceptance
MODULE
01
Setting The Stage
In this module, you’ll lay the essential groundwork to ensure your sustainable success in diagnosing temporomandibular joint disorder.
MODULE
02
We Need to Stop Immediately Thinking It’s the TMJ
In this module, you’ll learn how to think about temporomandibular joint disorder to avoid ...over complicating the diagnosis and easily seeing the signs that are right in front of you.
MODULE
03
The Symptoms of TMJ Disorder
In this module, you’ll learn about the seemingly unrelated symptoms of TMJ disorder and demystify why they occur.
MODULE
04
TMJ Disorder Can Affect Anyone
In this module you’ll learn how to view mandibular position from the viewpoint of the occlusion and ...understand how it can affect all types of occlusion, even those who appear perfectly orthodontically aligned.
MODULE
05
When It’s More Than Mandibular Position
In this module, you’ll learn how to approach temporomandibular disorder diagnosis, how to rule ...it out, and what to do when you suspect other factors may be contributing to the symptoms.
MODULE
06
Putting it all Together for Success
In this module, you’ll learn how to develop a treatment philosophy and inspire patients to achieve the...healthy, pain-free lifestyle they deserve.
For more course gems, check out The Pearls of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Treatment™
The Pearls of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Treatment TM
In the second section of the Masterclass, you will discover how to create a standardized and consistent approach to even the most functionally complex patients.
We will demystify why you don’t need to invest in complex and expensive equipment to obtain high success as a TMJ dentist, and understand how to efficiently collect all the information you need for a temporomandibular exam in under two minutes!
Take a look inside:
The Pearls of TMJ Disorder Treatment™ Course Objectives
Learn how to create a standardized and consistent approach to even the most functionally complex patients
Understand how work environment stress is caused and how to minimize it
Understand how to balance challenge and growth with comfort and security throughout your career
...
Learn why prevention is important when it comes to functional issues and prevention of
temporomandibular disorders
Demystify why you don’t need to invest in complex and expensive equipment to obtain high success as a TMJ dentist
Learn the extraoral factors that all dentists must understand for successful comprehensive oral care
Discover the single most important attribute that all dentists with remarkable treatment plan acceptance share
Learn why the most successful practitioners don’t feel exhausted by their work
Understand how to efficiently collect all the information you need for a temporomandibular exam in under two minutes
Learn the proper questions to learn everything your patients wanted to tell you, but never knew you could treat
Understand the features of an occlusal splint that matter and why some occlusal splints work and some are ineffective
Learn the simple Rightbite TM technique to find an improved mandibular position where centric occlusion better matches centric relation
Understand how to properly adjust an occlusal appliance so that it actively treats temporomandibular issues
Discover how temporomandibular joint disorder incorporates a team approach and which providers can help improve results
Discover how to treat temporomandibular joint disorder with irreversible methods such as orthodontics, occlusal equilibration, or restorative dentistry
Understand the role of TMJ surgery and when a surgery referral should be considered
Learn how to perform an occlusal equilibration in a simple method that does not require complex equipment
Understand how to treat a patient that has psychological or neurological components to their pain, and how to qualify treatment success when its more than just temporomandibular issues
Discover the functional pitfalls that occur for all patients in a general dentistry practice and how to prevent them
Learn what to do when temporomandibular treatment is not working and how to navigate complex cases
Learn how to unlock the magic of marketing principles such as differentiation, messaging, and perceived value
Discover how to increase new patient flow by adding additional revenue streams to your practice
Understand your value and how your philosophy regarding fees can communicates value for prospective patients
Discover how inattentional blindness relates to dentistry and your career as a professional
Realize the biggest limitation to achieving your full potential both personally and professionally
MODULE
01
Understand the Landscape
In this module, you’ll lay the essential groundwork to ensure your sustainable success as a provider treating temporomandibular joint disorder
MODULE
02
The Perfect Initial TMJ Examination
In this module, you’ll learn how to evaluate patients in a systematic method that makes diagnosis and treatment consistently stress-free for
... even the complex TMJ patient.
MODULE
03
Phase I: Getting the Symptoms Under Control
In this module you’ll learn how to use a systematic approach to test and confirm your diagnosis, and begin treating patients in
... a consistently safe and low risk strategy.
MODULE
04
Phase II: Improving the Symptoms for the Long Term
In this module, you’ll learn how to keep the momentum going by transitioning to irreversible treatments that lock in
... the progress made in phase I.
MODULE
05
Transforming the Success of Your Practice
In this module, you’ll learn how to create momentum in your practice, avoid the common pitfalls, and maximize your
...results as a provider.
