DentistryOnline courseGnathology
Occlusion, airway and joint stability for the whole dental team — Frank Spear and colleagues in 46 short lessons
Frank Spear, Jim McKee, Kevin Kwiecien and Steve Ratcliff connect bite, TMJ, sleep and treatment planning in Predictable Dentistry Through Occlusal Stability, and Christopher Walinski adds a closing module on hard-tissue lasers. The six modules run to 9 h 03 min, with most lessons kept under half an hour so the material works for team meetings as well as individual study. Case studies cover canted occlusal planes, compromised implant sites and joint screening with MRI and CBCT.
- 6modules
- 46lessons
- 9 h 03 minof video
- 5instructors
What you’ll be able to do
- Link the comprehensive exam to occlusal findings and treatment planning
- Screen patients for sleep-related breathing disorders and choose appropriate appliances
- Correct a canted occlusal plane with surgery, orthodontic intrusion or perio-restorative work
- Assess occlusal stability at tooth and joint level, including imaging findings
- Explain how muscles, TMJ, periodontium and teeth interact as one system
- Understand hard-tissue laser physics and indications
Inside the course
Why occlusion matters to everyone in the practice
The first module defines occlusion in plain terms for clinicians and staff, asks what the team actually believes and does, and closes with a compromised case involving implants and missing keratinised tissue.
Sleep and the airway
Six lessons revisit the standard exam with an airway lens, explain the biology of sleep and the consequences of poor sleep quality, and outline the treatment options a dental office can support.
Stability and the occlusal system
A short module on occlusal plane cant uses three contrasting case corrections. The stability module works through tooth-level and joint-level signs, two-part screening and imaging. The longest module explores masticatory muscles, joint function and dysfunction, centric relation, the periodontium and tooth form, using the TMJ Tutor model and the message that TMJ is not a disease.
Lasers in restorative work
Walinski explains laser types, infrared absorption and water, pulse and duty cycle, and clinical uses including cavity preparation and indirect restoration removal.
Built for
- Dentists who train their own teamsShort, discussion-friendly lessons that give everyone shared vocabulary.
- Restorative and prosthodontic cliniciansStability screening before committing to large treatment plans.
- Practices adding sleep screeningA clear overview of detection and appliance-based support.
Curriculum
Module 1: Occlusion Fundamentals for the Dental Team (2 h 53 min) 6 lessons
- Comprehensive Dentistry – Occlusion for the Dental Team: What Is It and Why Do We Care
- The Relationship Between the Comprehensive Exam and Occlusion
- Occlusion in Treatment Planning and Predictable Dentistry
- Foundational Occlusion
- Occlusion 2020 – What Do You Believe, What Do You Do
- Managing the Compromised Case – Implants, Occlusion, and Lack of Keratinized Tissue
Module 2: Airway, Occlusion, and Sleep-Related Health (1 h 33 min) 6 lessons
- Old Exam With New Eyes
- Promoting and Maintaining Health with the Proper Appliance
- The Mystery of Sleep
- Identifying Sleep Disorders
- Ramifications of Poor Sleep Quality
- Overview of Treatment for Poor Sleep
Module 3: Diagnosing & Correcting Occlusal Plane Cant (37 min) 4 lessons
- Evaluating the Canted Incisal-Occlusal Plane
- Case Study – Correction with Orthognathic Surgery
- Case Study – Correction with Orthodontic Intrusion of Posterior Teeth
- Case Study – Correction with Periodontal Surgery and Restorative
Module 4: Deep Dive into Occlusal Stability (1 h 07 min) 11 lessons
- Defining Occlusal Stability
- Occlusal Stability at the Tooth Level
- Occlusal Stability at the Joint Level
- Screening for Stability at the Joint Level – Part I
- Screening for Stability at the Joint Level – Part II
- MRI & CBCT Findings
- Defining Occlusal Stability (duplicate for expanded version)
- Occlusal Stability at the Tooth Level (duplicate)
- Occlusal Stability at the Joint Level (duplicate)
- Screening for Stability at the Joint Level – Part I (duplicate)
- Screening for Stability at the Joint Level – Part II (duplicate)
Module 5: The Occlusal System Explored (1 h 46 min) 14 lessons
- Overview of the System – Muscles
- Muscles of Mastication
- Relationship Between Occlusion and Muscles
- Overview of the System – TMJ
- The Temporomandibular Joint
- Function and Dysfunction of the TMJ
- Evaluation of the TMJ
- Centric Relation
- Overview of the System – Periodontium and Dentition
- The Periodontium
- The Dentition – Why Teeth Look the Way They Do
- A Closer Look at Teeth in Proper Function
- Using the TMJ Tutor to Understand the Entire System
- TMJ Is Not a Disease
Module 6: Hard Tissue Laser Applications in Dentistry (1 h 05 min) 5 lessons
- Types of Hard-Tissue Lasers & How They Work
- Infrared Concepts & the Role of Water
- Pulse & Duty Cycle Fundamentals
- Laser-Assisted Hard Tissue Procedures
- Indirect Restoration Removal
Before you buy
Are all 46 lessons unique?
No. Five lessons in module 4 repeat earlier stability lessons as expanded or duplicate versions, so there are about 41 distinct topics.
Why is there a laser module in an occlusion course?
The final module is a standalone introduction to hard-tissue lasers and is not tied to the occlusal content.
Is this deep enough for TMD specialists?
It is an overview built for general teams; lessons are brief and focus on concepts and screening rather than advanced therapy.
Do I get CME credit or a certificate?
No. Clinicapedia provides the educational content only — no CME or CE credits, MOC points or certificates of completion are included with this product.
Specifications
| Format | Online video course |
|---|---|
| Instructors | Spear, McKee, Kwiecien, Ratcliff, Walinski |
| Contents | 6 modules · 46 lessons (5 duplicates) |
| Duration | 9 h 03 min |
| Access | Lifetime, self-paced |
| Department | Dentistry |
| Delivery | Instant download · lifetime re-download |
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