Premature Wear-Premature Wear

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, presented by Dr. Alan Aube, focused on “premature wear” and argued that excessive tooth wear is a major cause of dental breakdown in adults, often more significant than decay. Dr. Aube emphasized that many dentists are trained to spot cavities but are less prepared to diagnose and manage wear, joint dysfunction, and bite changes.<br /><br />His central thesis was that temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems—especially disc displacement and condylar degeneration—can alter jaw position, create a more posterior bite, increase pressure on back teeth, and contribute to chipping, cracking, mobility, recession, muscle pain, and restoration failure. He described TMJ pathology as an orthopedic problem with stages ranging from disc displacement with clicking, to non-reducing displacement, to osteoarthritis.<br /><br />Through radiographs, MRIs, and case examples, he showed how joint degeneration can lead to retrognathic or open-bite patterns, asymmetry, and premature wear, often beginning in childhood or adolescence. He stressed that not all TMJ pathology is painful, and that waiting for pain before treatment can allow progressive damage.<br /><br />Dr. Aube encouraged clinicians to look at the mouth as a system involving the teeth, muscles, periodontium, and joints, rather than treating teeth one by one. He also discussed splint therapy, favoring a full-coverage flat-plane night guard with anterior guidance in combination with deprogramming principles. He concluded by urging newer dentists to build a strong foundation in occlusion, joint function, and system-based diagnosis before advancing into other dental specialties.

Asset Caption

Description This presentation aims to shed light on an often-overlooked contributor to premature dental wear. Dental structure is more often lost due to wear than to decay. Many dentists are not fully equipped to identify, diagnose or manage the causes of this progressive condition. Learning Objectives Identify the hidden causes behind premature aging and dental wear. Describe the evolving nature of the masticatory system. Recognize the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disc displacement. Speaker Bio Alain Aubé, DMD, graduated from the University of Montreal Faculty of Dentistry in 1984. He embarked on a tailored multidisciplinary residency program with a special focus on full-mouth prosthodontics and orthognathic surgery. He pursued the full curriculum at the Dawson Academy. He was introduced to Dr. Piper and completed his program on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathology. He maintains a full-time private referral practice exclusively focused on TMJ and occlusal problems and continues to teach and lecture intensively.

Keywords

premature wear

tooth wear

TMJ dysfunction

disc displacement

condylar degeneration

occlusion

bite changes

dental breakdown

splint therapy

restoration failure