Could these 2 newer dentists be mistaken?

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jay-n-123 - 09 Mar 2007 22:46 GMT

Sorry if my previous message about night guards got on anyone's nerves.

My overall point was that the price of a night guard from a dentist seems
very expensive, and for that reason I am going to try having a custom one
made from a mail order kit unless anyone here has any reason to believe
there to be something wrong with those.

While I am on the subject, I must say that I am perplexed that the 2 new
dentists I just saw are suspecting grinding/clenching as a cause of my
enamel wear issue for me while NONE of the dentists I had ever seen in the
past ever talked about grinding/clenching as a likely cause. I had been to
at least 5 dentists before my bonding work was done 10 years ago.

Is it possible that something about the way the bonding was done is making
it appear to newer dentists that grinding/clenching is an issue?

I am willing to use a night guard now, but why didn't any of the 5 dentists
I had been to in the past ever suggest this before?

Thanks,

J.

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Steven Fawks - 10 Mar 2007 13:02 GMT

> I am willing to use a night guard now, but why didn't any of the 5 dentists
> I had been to in the past ever suggest this before?
>
> Thanks,
>
> J.

The short version:

Most of the 'occlusion camps' out there use some form of 'horseshoe'
splint. Dental schools teach students how to make a 'horseshoe'
splint.

New dentists don't venture far from dental school teaching (generally
a good idea, but some wonderful stuff is missed!).

Experienced dentist think they know it all. "That little NTI
thingie can't be *that* special. I've spent thousands of dollars
going to LVI/Panky/Dawson/Neuromuscular training/blah/blah. They
don't like it." (These experts would have to admit that they have
been totally wrong in many of their teachings for years!)

The truth:

Horseshoe splints are horseshoe splints. Wal-Mart, mail order, custom
made by a dentist.....it doesn't make a big difference. They prop your
teeth apart and give you something to chew on besides your teeth.
In bruxism cases, sometimes that's enough. In clenching cases, not
even close.

The NTI is the only bite guard design that significantly reduces
the *clenching intensity*. That is the big difference. CLENCHING
INTENSITY.

I think that someday, horseshoe splints will go the route of Adaptic
and silicate cement. The NTI is truly revolutionary. It's just a
gradual revolution.

Steve Fawks

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The Webby - 10 Mar 2007 13:55 GMT

> Sorry if my previous message about night guards got on anyone's nerves.

Okay then. Steve Fawks has provided you with an excellent response to
your questions. You should consider that the content of his response
could not have been offered to you a decade ago. Time changes all
things; sometimes for the better and sometimes not.

Webby

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Newbie - 12 Mar 2007 15:56 GMT

>My overall point was that the price of a night guard from a dentist seems
>very expensive, and for that reason I am going to try having a custom one
>made from a mail order kit unless anyone here has any reason to believe
>there to be something wrong with those.

Be careful when shopping for bargains in parachutes, heart surgery, and
dental treatment.

Go to a real live dentist in person already ! Crikey !

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jay-n-123 - 12 Mar 2007 20:27 GMT

Is a real live dentist going to admit it's possible he was (or is) mistaken
about the cause of my enamel wear? Real live dentists didn't seem to be
telling me that grinding/clenching was the issue in the past, before the
bonding work was done, nor did they tell me I need to wear a night guard.

Now a couple of new real live dentists, who never examined me before, but
recently examined me, are telling me that grinding/clenching is an issue and
are recommeding I use a night guard. My point is that if this is true then
the 5 real live dentists who saw me in the past over the years (including
the one who did the bonding work 10 years ago and who I still go to
regularly) were remiss in not recommending that I use a night guard.
Wondering if the newer real-live-dentists could be mistaken in thinking I'm
grinding/clenching and if there is a way I can tell for sure.

If the night guard I'm using lasts for a certain amount of months can I
conclude I'm not grinding clenching?

J.

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Newbie - 12 Mar 2007 20:54 GMT

>Is a real live dentist going to admit it's possible he was (or is) mistaken
>about the cause of my enamel wear? Real live dentists didn't seem to be
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
>J.

How could we possibly know over usenet ?

You can conclude all you want, doesn't make it true.

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Steven Fawks - 13 Mar 2007 04:54 GMT

Yep, I'm a new age guy. Graduated in 1979 (dental school, not
high school).

Unless a dentist has had very good training, the bruxism/clenching
issues take *years* of experience to figure out. Listening to the
wrong theories might block that knowledge forever.

;-)
Steve

I made my wife a soft horseshoe splint while in school. She chewed
through it in less than a week. Newer versions may be more resistant
to damage, but no more effective in treatment. Knock yourself out
trying to find a cheaper, yet effective appliance.

I tried for 20 years with a dental education and still had no success
until the NTI came around.

> Wondering if the newer real-live-dentists could be mistaken in thinking I'm
> grinding/clenching and if there is a way I can tell for sure.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> J.

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