Equilibration: Increasing Patient Satisfaction

Occlusal equilibration is a treatment modality that we can use to increase patient satisfaction and comfort. Prior to my training and education at The Dawson Academy, equilibration was the least understood and therefore the most underutilized procedure of all the things that I did.

Help your patients fully understand equilibration

I have since learned that it is so important to help patients understand that when teeth are not hitting evenly and when teeth are not functioning in harmony with the joints and the muscles, something is likely to break down. We tend to see these signs of breakdown or these signs of instability in the teeth and the periodontium. These signs include bone loss, recession, mobility, abfraction, cracks, and wear. If these signs are left untreated, ultimately, symptoms can develop and even result in tooth loss.

I think it’s reasonable to say that most of our patients want to keep their teeth for a lifetime. They want to be able to function well and be satisfied with their appearance.

Patients appreciate the conservative nature of equilibration

When we understand the goals of equilibration and we adequately explain the benefits to patients, equilibration therapy can be the most rewarding procedure that we do because patients really appreciate the conservative nature of how we selectively reshape the enamel in order to maintain long-term stability of their dentition. And in my experience, this has been a huge practice builder.

Learn more about Equilibration in our course, The Art and Science of Equilibration.