The FreeBite System can either be employed by dentists, medical doctors or any other therapists as an aid in differential diagnosis and treatment for the TMJ Syndrome, or by patients directly who seek relief from their symptoms and seek to understand what is causing them. For this reason, mostly lay terms are used in this description. I will be happy to provide more specific suggestions to colleagues and other professionals at a later time.
The Difference
Fluid-filled, prefabricated bite splints have been around for decades and are time-proven. As long as there are teeth to support them properly, they allow the mandible to brace against the maxilla in a position different from where the teeth fit in occlusion. This bracing-position is also self-adjusting, since the left and right bite cushions are connected, allowing the fluid filling to be displaced from one side to the other as needed. …
The System
The FreeBite System contains different components and there is no fixed rule as to how to employ them. For instance, I may start a patient on the FreeBite air. Air is a compressible medium and cushions hard occlusal contacts softly which is often a welcome relief from harsh contacts between teeth. After a week or two we may switch to a FreeBite …
Selection
So, does the FreeBite make conventional water splints obsolete?
To be fair, the FreeBite has been optimized to relieve chronic muscle tension associated with compression of the TMJ, not to resolve every possible issue in what collectively is called ”TMJ Syndrome”. If you have an anterior open bite and only your back teeth come into contact, wearing a FreeBite may not be as comfortable as a shorter water splint, as it’s wedge shape may block your bite where it feels high already. …
Use
Please keep in mind that the FreeBite has many more uses than pain relief:
- Cause of Symptoms. Find out if your bite is involved in your symptoms.
- Differential Diagnosis. Find out if your bite affects your head and body posture and symptoms elsewhere in your body.
- Decompression of the TMJ’s.
- Relaxation of Chewing Muscles.
- Determination of the Orthopedic Bite.
The application of the FreeBite is quite different from that of the conventional water splint you may already be familiar with, because it is designed to stimulate change much more actively. Its shape has been carefully designed to support the widest range of dental arch forms possible. …
FreeBite solid
Conventional water splints offer temporary relief of symptoms and relying on them permanently actually can be quite risky. They prevent the teeth from interdigitating with each other which normally helps to hold dental arches in a stable form. Teeth can shift their position over time when nothing stabilizes them, resulting in a situation where the upper and lower dental arches no longer match.
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Specific Instructions
Below, you find more specific instructions for using the components of the FreeBite system. Some are important for all users, others concern the needs of individual groups. If you have questions, comments or suggestions which you do not want to share publicly as a comment in this blog, please direct them at mail@biteblog.de.