With exceptional education and the integrity to do what is right for her patients, Dr. Margaret Radziszewski practices functional dentistry. This is a philosophy of looking at the “whole picture” and finding the root cause when treating dental problems. Myofunctional Therapy is often incorporated into functional dentistry to address issues with muscle function. This therapy can also improve the overall health of the masticatory system (all parts involved in chewing).
What is Functional Dentistry?
Like the rest of the medical field, dentists possess a variety of skill sets based on their training, education, and passion for patient care. To become an above-average dentist and provide patients with healthy, beautiful, long-lasting smiles, Dr. Margaret Radziszewski studied under the world’s pioneers in dentistry. She graduated from the prestigious Dawson Academy, the most respected and honored advanced dental training institution. She is among the 10% of dentists in the U.S. who possess this training.
The philosophy behind Functional Dentistry is to teach dentists to become physicians of the entire masticatory system and to understand every structural part of it (the jaw joint (TMJ), muscles, and teeth). Looking beyond teeth enables Dr. Radziszewski to provide stability by detecting signs of dental damage before symptoms appear. Finding the root cause and preventing dental pain, tooth wear, and tooth damage before they become permanent is the key to creating long-lasting smiles.
If the focus were solely on teeth, so much could be missed. Functional Dentistry allows Dr. Radziszewski to analyze the ten structural and functional factors in the chewing system and recreate the missing links. When treating even a single tooth, the treatment should be done with the entire chewing system in mind.
We use our mouths thousands of times a day when we speak, bite, and chew. Teeth are connected to our bloodstream. This may be taken for granted, but they play an important part in overall health.
Complete Dentistry has allowed Dr. Radziszewski to help patients regain their optimum health. She has created thousands of successful cases and healthy, comfortable, and beautiful smiles.
Why Is Function Important for Oral Health?
There is so much that could be missed if the focus were solely on teeth. Functional Dentistry allows Dr. Radziszewski to analyze the ten structural and functional factors of the chewing system to identify the missing links. When treating even a single tooth, the treatment should be guided by the entire chewing system.
Our teeth are used thousands of times a day, during speaking, sustaining the forces of chewing and digesting food. Their proper function is necessary for healthy, comfortable, and beautiful smiles. The study of Functional Dentistry has allowed Dr. Radziszewski to help patients regain their optimum health.
What Is Occlusal Disease?
When your upper and lower teeth fit together properly, it creates a healthy balance among your teeth, jaw muscles, and jaw joints (TMJ). This balance is called occlusion, and it helps protect your teeth from damage and keeps your smile strong for life.
Many people haven’t heard of “Occlusal Disease,” and that’s okay, you’re not alone! Most people have this condition in some form, but it’s often not diagnosed.
Modern dentistry has shown us that tooth loss isn’t just caused by cavities or gum disease. A major cause of tooth damage is occlusal disease, which occurs when your bite doesn’t function properly.
Occlusal disease means your upper and lower teeth don’t line up or fit together properly. This unbalanced bite can hurt your teeth and your jaw. It’s a problem with the chewing system, caused by:
- Too much pressure on your teeth
- Jaw movement problems involving the TMJ (jaw joint)
Occlusal disease manifests as tooth wear, cracked teeth, receding gums, sensitive teeth, shifting tooth positions, and nerve pain. Like any other disease, it is progressive and leads to pain and inflammation of the TMJ. Thankfully, at Dazzling Dentistry, we offer the most comfortable solutions for treating your occlusal problems and saving your smile.
How Do We Treat Occlusal Disease with Functional Dentistry?
There are two important steps in evaluating and analyzing the health and function of your smile.
~Comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning is essential in order to obtain a healthy, highly functional, unworn smile. ~
Step 1: Functional Evaluation $195
The first step is a personal evaluation to check how your bite and jaw work. This helps us find any problems with how your teeth fit together or how your jaw moves.
During this visit, we check:
- The muscles you use for chewing, your jaw joints (called TMJ)
- Wear on your teeth
- For loose teeth
- If you have problems with how your teeth come together when you bite
We’ll guide you through different jaw movements to see how your upper and lower teeth line up. We’ll also test how your jaw joints are working. If we find any problems with the joints, we may recommend that you get an MRI to take a closer look.
Step 2: Bite Analysis (Records) $595
In this step, we gather all the information on the patient’s teeth and chewing system so that Dr. Radziszewski can analyze it in detail. We scan the patient’s teeth and bite, take measurements, and photograph them for further analysis.
After your visit, we enter the information into our computer system and create models of your teeth. We place these models on a special device called an articulator. This allows us to transfer the patient’s upper jaw to lower jaw function in centric relation (the most anatomical and stable position of the condyle in the joint).
Dr. Radziszewski takes time to study how your teeth work and look for any problems with your bite. This helps her understand what’s causing issues and how to fix them. She uses her expert knowledge of how the teeth and jaw should work together to build a custom treatment plan just for you. Dr. Radziszewski follows the functional goals of occlusion and uses her fundamental, complete-dentistry knowledge to provide comprehensive treatment plans.
If your situation is different or more complex, we can talk about other treatment options. Dr. Radziszewski believes every patient deserves to understand their bite problems and receive the best possible care.
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Treatment Solutions for Occlusal Disease in Chicago
We provide multiple treatments as a part of functional dentistry in Arlington Heights and Chicago, IL:
1. Equibilation (Reshaping Teeth)
Equilibration is the corrective process of distributing bite forces equally among all teeth by selectively reshaping them to create a well-balanced bite. Equilibration aims to have the teeth fit together and function well, preventing damage. (All the teeth should hit evenly with the same pressure.) Well-equilibrated teeth will also release the disharmony and pressure in muscles and joints.
An uneven, unbalanced bite is like a four-legged stool that wobbles. To fix the wobbly stool, use a piece of sandpaper, determine which leg is the longest, and reduce that leg just enough so that all the legs are even and the stool is stable on the floor. We do the same thing with the teeth, except we have more legs to consider.
The process of reshaping teeth is so slight that you would not notice a difference in the shape, but you’ll likely notice a big difference in how you bite and how well your teeth will fit together.
Equilibration on properly selected patients is conservative, predictable, minimally invasive, and extremely successful.
2. Deprogramming (Occlusal Splint)
Sometimes, before we can begin treatment, we need to help the jaw relax into its natural, most comfortable position. This step is called deprogramming, and it often involves using a special device called an occlusal splint.
An occlusal splint is a custom-made appliance that fits over your teeth, kind of like a mouthguard. You wear it at night while you sleep. Its job is to take pressure off your jaw muscles and help them relax. When the muscles are relaxed, your jaw can settle into a healthier, more natural position.
This step is important because tense or overworked jaw muscles can affect how your teeth fit together. If we begin treatment before your jaw is in the right position, it could lead to problems with your bite later on. By wearing the occlusal splint, we can get a clearer picture of how your teeth and jaw should truly align.
3. Orthodontics (Braces)
Sometimes, braces or other orthodontic treatments are needed to help move the teeth into better positions before we can fix or rebuild them. But straightening the teeth isn’t always enough. If the orthodontist doesn’t understand how the teeth should work together when you bite and chew, the teeth might look straight, but still not work well.
4. Restorations
We may recommend an array of restorations to restore proper tooth contact. Our office can restore and rebuild worn teeth. We can provide restorations using tooth-colored materials such as porcelain or composite (filling material).
5. Combination
During the bite analysis, we often find that some teeth need to be reshaped, moved, or fixed to work better together. Every patient is treated as an individual, with respect for their needs and goals. We might suggest treatments like SureSmile braces, dental implants, or crowns to help balance your bite and improve how your teeth fit together.
Schedule an Appointment Today
Does your bite make it hard to eat the foods you want? Fix your bite with functional dentistry in Chicago, IL, and Arlington Heights, IL. Call Dazzling Dentistry today at (872) 276-8546. You can also request an appointment online.