“There is not an ideal philosophy when it comes to occlusion, but there are important concepts,” says Dr. Hoffer. “We are not looking for ideal, we are looking for appropriate. There are many ways to be right.”
In over 40 years of practice as a periodontist, Dr. Marshall Hoffer attributes 65-70% of his entire case load to what he calls
Occlusal Disease, where a patient is damaging their teeth either because of a bad set-up or parafunctional problems.
In this in-depth conversation with Dr. John O’Keefe, Director of Knowledge Networks CDA, Dr. Hoffer shares his thoughts on occlusion, explaining key concepts such as Mutually Protected Occlusion and Cuspid Guidance, and makes a case for dentists to take a step back and consider not just single teeth but the functional system within which they work.
We hope you find the conversation useful. We welcome your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions about this post and other topics. Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email.
Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team
Dear Dr. Hoffer…Thank you for a concise review on the fundamentals. These concepts are indeed simple to enumerate, understand and put into practice. They have guided my 40 years of designing long-lasting restorations that are harmonious with a patient’s masticatory complex. I too have noticed the lack of adequate anterior guidance in many orthodontic cases. But before we throw stones, we should acknowledge that ortho lacks the precision that’s possible in crown and bridge. Orthodontists have many parameters to juggle that lack definitive control, such as facial growth and patient compliance.
It is my suggestion to CDA Oasis viewers to review a 2019 post by Mike Racich. The Centric Relation Conundrum – The Occlusion Camps.
The information in both posts are complimentary.
Hope to hear more from both.