What is gnathology?
What is gnathology?
Gnathology is a side of stomatology, which studies the norm and pathology of the stomatognathic complex (the masticatory organ) and deals with prevention, diagnosis, treatment and establishing the biological balance at its level.
Specifically, gnathology deals with of the clinical management of oro-cranio-cervico-facial dysfunction and functional problems at the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) level during mandibular movements, mastication, swallowing, breathing, phonetics, bruxism (stress management), etc…
Who needs a medical gnathologist?
The gnathologist can help you when you have headaches, insomnia, spasms or cervical pain, pain, clicks (snaps), crackles in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), discomfort or restriction (blockage) of mouth opening, facial asymmetry, deviation during the opening and closing of the mouth and when a treatment by a Chinese or osteopath will not help for a long time, because the initial problem comes from the region of the masticatory organ.
What does the gnathologist treat?
The gnathologist treats or prevents TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunctions.
With what methods does the gnathologist treat you?
The medical gnathologist applies all the treatment methods: Condylography (axiography) and Splint therapy for repositioning the position of the mandible in space, which in turn leads to balancing the neuro-muscular system of the head and neck region and ensures decompression in the TMJ.
How is the effect of gnathological treatment determined?
Medical gnathologist fixes the effect of gnathological treatment at the beginning for 1-6 months through splint therapy – a splint is made (special therapeutic cap). Then, if necessary, the orthodontist is involved in liquidating the blockages caused by the teeth through the correct alignment of the dental arches. And the completion of each gnathological or orthodontic treatment is carried out by the orthopedic-gnathologist dentist in close relationship with the dental technician with gnathological knowledge, by creating the new functional geometry of the occlusion (the relationship between the teeth of the maxilla and the mandible) with overlays, semi-crowns, crowns, dental veneers from integral ceramics. Why not with delayed restorations made of photopolymer material? Because even if it contains ceramic particles, the filling is made of composite (plastic), which soon wears out and loses its functional form. And the most important thing is that we lose the height of the teeth, which means that we lose the occlusal support created for the comfortable therapeutic position for the patient.
Cu ce instrumente lucreaza gnatologul?
Cadias4 condylograph, Gamma Dental (Austria)
With the congilograph, the doctor determines the individual axis of the condyles of the mandible. This is necessary so that further measurements from the Articulator or Variator coincide with the patient’s movements in space. After determining the patient’s individual axis, it digitally records the functional movements of the mandible: the functional resting position, protrusion-retrusion, left-then-right movement, opening-closing, how the patient chews and swallows food, how they brush, how they speak. All these recordings are necessary to understand what happens in the TMJ in dynamics(!) and how we can position the mandible in space with a precision of tenths of a millimeter to improve the physical and psycho-emotional state of the patient.
Dynamic cephalometry
It is an x-ray with the axis and Axio-orbital plane of the individual patient (!). Here we can virtually model different clinical situations to predict a successful treatment.
Variator Gamma Dental (Austria)
This device helps us to pass the virtual modeled data into analog (live) data. And by obtaining some interdental-intermaxillary blocks, we can test them on the patient and immediately analyze the patient’s condition or rather his reaction to our virtual modeling(!).
Articulator Gamma Dental (Austria)
With the help of this functional and programmable device, which precisely repeats the movements of our patient’s mandible, the dental technician models the final functional and aesthetic work in the comfortable therapeutic position for the patient.
The primary consultation in gnathology: detailed analyzes and evaluations
At the primary consultation, the gnathologist will analyze the Tomography and Magnetic Resonance of the TMJ. He will have a discussion about the state of general and dental health. He will palpate and determine the strength of the muscles of the dentomaxillary and postural system in the neck region.
I studied gnathology at the University of Medicine in Vienna Vie SID – Vienna School of Interdisciplinary Dentistry. I studied for 4 years and successfully completed Basic Curriculum, Advanced Condilography, 3D Course, Therapy Continuum. This knowledge helps us in the clinic to analyze more deeply the patient’s condition with their holistic rehabilitation at the level of the whole body. Already every filling, crown, dental implant, or total rehabilitation on All in X implants or with dental veneers, at our clinic is done through the prism of contemporary gnathology.
Gnathology has existed for more than 125 years. Throughout these years, there have been multiple attempts to create something more beneficial for our patients and not only for patients with TMJ problems, but also not to bring orthodontic patients and total rehabilitation patients with TMJ dysfunctions. Vie SID – Vienna School of Interdisciplinary Dentistry created by the Austrian professor Rudolf Slavicec is the safest and most perfect concept in modern gnathology that can successfully treat and change the quality of life of patients with TMJ dysfunction.
Why should it be treated using gnathological principles?
Because any dental intervention, either a simple filling or a ceramic crown, talking about total rehabilitation on implants or dental veneers, or an orthodontic treatment can lead to a change in space of the position of the mandible. If this construction is integrated without changing anything in the statics and dynamics of the stomatognathic system, then it will be accepted by the system. But if it creates small static and dynamic obstacles, then our system will interpret this as an obstacle and try to adapt to the created situation. But at what price? Some muscles will be more tense than others and those will already work suboptimal, which will lead to different compensations along the entire craniosacral muscle chain. But such problems can occur with every filling, crown, etc. Because of these small problems, at first glance, over time they can lead to dysfunctions at the level of the ATM, the spine and even the CNS (Central Nervous System).