Functional Dentistry
The holistic treatment philosophy pioneered by Professor Rudolf Slavicek, who led seminal research on occlusal medicine and founded the Vienna School of Interdisciplinary Dentistry (VieSID), the education institution of reference in the field of dental occlusion.
Functional dentistry centers around the masticatory organ, its proper function, and its broader impact on our health, encompassing everything from teeth position and posture to mental well-being. Dental and gum issues, facial asymmetries, headaches and migraines, TMJ pain, jaw clicking or locking, neck and shoulder soreness, mouth-breathing, and the lack of soft tissue support on the lower facial height, all represent symptoms often indicative of dental occlusion dysfunctionalities, which ought to be carefully addressed. Functional dentistry distinguishes itself from conventional approaches by focusing on the comprehensive treatment of the root-cause of those symptoms, thereby providing patients with perennial solutions that preserve their teeth, gums, joints and muscles.
Dental contacts can impact a patient’s occlusion, masticatory function, and facial aesthetics
Aesthetics and function are one. Dentistry without function would be analogous to architecture without engineering. Function serves as the structural foundation upon which to anchor accurate results, much as a pillar would support a floor. A functionally sound solution will inherently be aesthetic, whereas an aesthetic only solution could not meet functional requirements. Regrettably, dental treatments that do not adequately integrate function can produce results that appear aesthetically satisfactory on the surface, while contributing to deeper degenerative traumas over time.
Teeth, soft tissues, bones, joints, and muscles are all connected to form the masticatory organ