Blog #2     Occlusal Medicine –  what is it?

 In our first blog post we discussed functional dentistry.  The term Occlusal Medicine (also known as Occlusion Medicine) has been attributed to a variety of authors; however, a trio of very skilled clinicians popularized the term.  Dr. Robert Ricketts – orthodontist (Kokomo, Indiana, 1920 – Scottsdale, Arizona, 2003) and Dr. Rudolf Slavicek – prosthodontist (Vienna, Austria, 1928 – 2022) shared a philosophy of individualizing patient care.  Professor Dr. Rudolph Slavicek collaborated with Professor Dr. Sadao Sato – orthodontist (Kanagawa, Japan) to further develop the diagnostic methods and treatment regimens used by VieSID worldwide. 

What is the difference between functional dentistry and occlusal medicine?  They are synonyms and both terms recognize the complexity of the stomatognathic system and the need to fully assess the functions and dysfunctions of our presenting patients.

All three dentists dedicated their careers to the study of the stomatognathic system. As mentors, teachers, researchers, and clinicians they considered the morphology, dynamics, growth patterns, evolution, and interactions of this system with the body and mind. Based on their extensive knowledge, they developed new diagnostic and therapeutic concepts, reinforcing the reality that dentistry is a medical discipline requiring interdisciplinary cooperation.

Dr. Ricketts developed cephalometric standards that were instrumental to the understanding of facial “norms” and linked various skeletal patterns and resulting malocclusions to TMD’s

If you would like to read further about these clinicians please see the following article:

Angle Orthodontist. 2023 Sep; 93(5): 497–500.      PMCID: PMC10575632

Robert M. Ricketts and Rudolf Slavicek: dentistry by the rules of nature

Cinzia Forna,^a Nelson J Opperman^b Ian Tester,^c Kim Parlett,^c Mohammed H. Elnagar,^d Budi Kusnoto,^e and Flavio J. C. Sanchez

VieSID Educational programs are taught worldwide in 19 different centres including Canada.  Our signature hands-on program, The VieSID Canada “Mini-Residency”, is a fifteen-day curriculum taught in three modules of five days.  A maximum of 12 students are accepted at a time to ensure an excellent learning environment.  For more information, please see www.viesidcanada.com.