With exceptional education and the integrity to do the right thing for her patients, Dr. Margaret Radziszeski practices Functional Dentistry. This is a philosophy of looking at the “whole picture” and finding the root cause when treating dental problems. In Functional Dentistry, the dentist becomes the physician of the entire masticatory system (all parts involved in chewing).
What is Functional Dentistry?
Similar to the rest of the medical field, dentists possess a diversity of skill sets based on the type of 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 how 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 we have symptoms. Finding the root cause and preventing dental pain, tooth wear, and tooth damage before they become permanent is the key to the creation of long-lasting smiles.
So much could be missed if the focus would be solely on teeth. 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 respect to the entire chewing system. Our teeth are used thousands of times a day, during speaking, sustaining the forces of chewing and digesting food. They are connected to our bloodstream. This may be taken for granted, but they play an important part in the 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 would be solely on teeth. Functional Dentistry allows Dr. Radziszewski to analyze the ten structural and functional factors in the chewing system to find the missing links. When treating even a single tooth, the treatment should be done with respect to 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?
Properly balanced relation of upper and lower teeth (OCCLUSION) creates harmony between the teeth, muscles, and jaw joints (TMJ) to withstand the bite forces and keep your teeth stable and safe for your entire life. If you have never heard the term “Occlusal Disease,” you are not alone! The vast majority of people have this condition, at least to some degree, but it is not commonly diagnosed.
In modern dentistry, we are fortunate to know that tooth loss is not only caused by bacterial infection (cavities or gum disease). In fact, the most common yet underdiagnosed cause of tooth loss is Occlusal Disease (disease of the bite forces).
Occlusal disease is the improper relation of upper and lower teeth (unbalanced bite) that damages teeth. It is the dysfunction in the masticatory system (chewing system) caused by:
- excessive forces on teeth
- improper functioning of the jaw with the TMJ joint
Occlusal disease manifests itself by wear on teeth, cracked teeth, receding gums, sensitive teeth, teeth changing position, and nerve pain. Like any other disease, it is progressive and leads to pain and inflammation of the TMJ. Thankfully, at Dazzling Dentistry, we have the most comfortable solutions to treat your occlusal problems and save 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
A personal, functional evaluation is the first step to diagnosing occlusal problems and dysfunctions. This is done through the evaluation of all muscles used for chewing, the joints (TMJ) of wear on the surfaces of the teeth, mobility of the teeth, and interference in the normal bite function. The patient is taken through different movements of the lower jaw to determine the relationship of the upper teeth to the lower teeth. Testing of the joints is performed to determine the state of the joint. If pathology in the joint is detected, the patient may be referred for an MRI first.
STEP 2: BITE ANALYSIS (RECORDS) $595
In this step, we gather all of 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.
Once the patient leaves this two hour appointment, we enter the date into a computer system, organize the information and create dental models of your teeth that are set on an articulator (special holder) that mounts the models according to the measurements that we obtained. 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).
Each smile analysis is a long and detailed process, where Dr. Radziszewski studies the functioning of teeth, finding the dysfunctions and their origin in order to correct them. While creating individualized treatment plans, Dr. Radziszewski follows the functional goals of occlusion and implements the fundamental, complete dentistry knowledge, following a specific process to provide complete treatment plans. Alternative solutions can be selected if the patient’s circumstances require it. Dr Radiszewski believes that every patient is entitled to know the implications of occlusal problems and deserves the best solutions.
Treatment Solutions for Occlusal Disease in Chicago
1. EQUIBILATION (reshaping teeth)
Equilibration is the corrective process of distributing the bite forces equally to all teeth by SELECTIVE RESHAPING of teeth to create a well-balanced bite. The purpose of Equilibration is for the teeth to fit together and function well to prevent damaging them. (All of 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, you use a piece of sandpaper, determine which leg is the longest one, 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 will likely notice a big difference in how you bite and how well your teeth will fit together.
Equilibration on properly selected patients is conservative, very predictable, minimally invasive, and extremely successful.
2. DEPROGRAMMING (OCCLUSAL SPLINT)
In some cases, an extra step is required to set the jaw in the correct position with a personalized appliance that the patient wears at night to relieve tense muscles.
3. ORTHODONTICS (braces)
Orthodontics may be required for some cases to allow teeth to be positioned for better contouring and alignment of restorations. Yet, orthodontics alone are not enough if the orthodontist is not familiar with goals of functional occlusion. Very often teeth can be left straight, but not functioning well together.
4. RESTORATIONS
To rebuild proper contact of teeth, an array of restoration may be used. Worn teeth have to be restored and rebuilt. It can be done with porcelain or composite (filling material).
5. COMBINATION
During the bite analysis, the diagnostic workup often shows a need for a combination of reshaping, repositioning, and restoring teeth. Every patient is treated individually with respect to their needs and wants.