Dr. Caughey’s caring and considerate service is passed down to hygiene, dental assistant and office/financial personnel with perfection. They always make me feel comfortable. All have been helpful to me in the past, Missy and Liv particularly. Always feel like they have done their best to serve me. I commend Dr. Caughey and her staff.
Read MoreMissy at the front desk was extremely kind and courteous. Dr Caughey is awesome! I would recommend her to anyone that would need this type of medical care.
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A bite splint requires molar support, and particularly at the most distal tooth location. However, due to the shape of the upper and lower jaws’ relationship to one another, this is the portion of the bite splint that most frequently becomes thin and brittle, and thus, broken. Below is a case of fractured acrylic over…
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Can an orthodontic appliance like the ALF serve to open the airway? We think so! This diagram shows the anatomical relationship between the roof of the mouth (palatine and maxillae bones) and the base of the nose. If an ALF Advanced Lightwire Fuctional appliance can gently spread these maxillae and palatine sutures,…
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Ideally the splint is designed to prevent failures from happening. But when they do, it is good to be able to understand how and why the failure occurred, and to know what to do about it. Splint repair and tips to prevent failure are helpful to predict and manage the occasional difficulties in splint therapy. Understanding…
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The JVA is a screening tool for TMJ Dysfunction. The Joint Vibration Analysis is an instrument resembling a set of headphones, but instead of listening to music, it listens to the jaw joints. A healthy jaw joint creates very little friction, whereas a damaged joint is noisier. Depending on the type of vibration created, a…
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Canine transposition means the canines are in the position of missing lateral incisors — or in the switched position of upper premolars. This rare but non pathologic variation of tooth position can be challenging to determine how the biting forces should be spread across the teeth. In general, a splint for canine transposition can be managed…
Read MoreI spent the past 2 days in ALF (Advanced Lightwire Functional) appliance training with Dr. Mike Hoefs. Dentistry in America is continuously recognizing new heroes, who have bravely look at the way the teeth are connected to the rest of the body — Dr. Hoefs is one such hero of mine! Wow! The science behind this…
Read MorePatients managing an airway problem with night-time use of a mandibular advancement device may develop a posterior open bite. Attempting to reapproximate the posterior teeth in this occlusal distortion involves mandible retrusion and OA flexion, thus reversing the natural lordosis of the neck. Accurately mounted study models taken after the cervical curvature has been supported…
Read MoreSphenoid position is a prominent feature of a R TMCC positional pattern. In that position, the greater wing of the sphenoid is more superior on the Right side, than on the Left. Without regard for the position a patient is in (R TMCC versus neutrality), even the most conscientious dentist will adjust a bite splint…
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