Periodontics
Specialist care for the gum and bone that hold your teeth in place — the foundation everything else depends on.
Learn moreOcclusal Therapy in Berwyn, PA
Correcting how your teeth meet, so biting force stops destroying what has been restored.
Bite Correction
Occlusion is simply how your upper and lower teeth meet. When that relationship is off — or when grinding and clenching generate forces far beyond normal chewing — teeth crack, restorations fail, gums recede and the bone supporting teeth breaks down faster than it otherwise would.
This is the part of dentistry most often left out of a treatment plan, and it is frequently the reason work does not last. A crown that keeps fracturing, an implant that loosens, recession that returns after grafting: all can trace back to a bite problem that was never addressed.
Dr. Liu's training in both periodontics and prosthodontics puts occlusion at the centre of how treatment is planned here. He has published peer-reviewed work on occlusal adjustment techniques for preventing open proximal contacts, and on the role of bite forces in periodontal prosthesis.
- Protects teeth and restorations from excessive force
- Relieves jaw soreness and grinding-related headaches
- Extends the life of crowns, bridges and implants
- Slows bite-related bone loss around teeth
- Addresses recurrent food packing between teeth
- Reversible options tried before anything permanent
Signs of a bite problem
Occlusal problems are frequently silent until damage shows. Worth investigating if you notice:
- Teeth that are visibly worn, flattened or chipped
- Repeated fracturing of teeth, fillings or crowns
- Jaw soreness or fatigue, particularly in the morning
- Frequent headaches around the temples
- Clicking or popping in the jaw joint
- Teeth that feel loose without obvious gum disease
- Sensitivity when biting on a specific tooth
- Recession concentrated on particular teeth
- Food consistently packing between the same two teeth
That last one is a specific interest of Dr. Liu's — open contacts between teeth, where food traps repeatedly, are frequently occlusal in origin rather than simply a restoration problem, and he has published a review on the subject.
Bruxism: grinding and clenching
Many people grind or clench their teeth without knowing it, most often during sleep. The forces involved substantially exceed normal chewing force and are applied for hours.
The consequences accumulate quietly: enamel wears flat, teeth become sensitive as dentine is exposed, restorations fracture, and the periodontal ligament is stressed in ways that accelerate bone loss where gum disease is also present.
Grinding is not something you can simply decide to stop, because it happens while you are asleep. What can be done is protecting the teeth from the force and reducing the trigger where possible.
Treatment approaches
Occlusal adjustment
Precise, conservative reshaping of specific contact points so force distributes evenly across the arch rather than concentrating on a few teeth. Done carefully and in small increments — this is not about grinding teeth down.
Night guards and bite splints
A custom appliance worn during sleep absorbs grinding force and protects both teeth and restorations. Custom-made guards fit properly and are worn; over-the-counter boil-and-bite versions typically are not.
Bite plane therapy
A therapeutic appliance used to reposition the jaw and let overworked muscles settle. Often used diagnostically — how symptoms respond helps confirm whether the bite is genuinely the cause before any irreversible treatment is considered.
Restorative correction
Where teeth have already worn significantly or are missing, restoring correct height and contact may require crowns, implants or a coordinated full-mouth reconstruction. This is planned around the finished bite rather than tooth by tooth.
What to Expect
The Occlusal Therapy Process
- Occlusal examinationHow your teeth meet is assessed in multiple jaw positions, along with wear patterns, muscle tenderness and joint function. Bite registration materials record exactly which contacts are taking the load.
- Identify the causeSymptoms are separated into their causes — an uneven bite, night-time grinding, a failing restoration, or a combination. Treatment differs substantially depending on which.
- Reversible treatment firstSplint or night guard therapy is generally used before any irreversible adjustment. If symptoms resolve with an appliance, that both confirms the diagnosis and may be the whole treatment.
- Definitive treatmentWhere indicated, occlusal adjustment or restorative correction follows, informed by what the reversible phase demonstrated.
- ReviewThe bite is re-evaluated after treatment and at maintenance visits. Occlusion changes over time as teeth wear and move, so it is monitored rather than assumed fixed.
Restorations that keep failing are a symptom. If crowns or fillings on the same tooth have needed repeated repair, the bite is worth examining before another one is placed.
Common Questions
Occlusal Therapy FAQs
Most people do not know until someone tells them or a dentist spots the wear. Common indicators are waking with a sore jaw or dull headache, teeth that feel sensitive in the morning, flattened biting surfaces, and a partner reporting the sound.
Wear patterns are quite specific and readily identified on examination.
Generally yes. A custom guard is made to your teeth, fits accurately, and is adjusted so it does not itself introduce a new bite problem. An ill-fitting appliance can shift teeth or aggravate the joint.
The practical difference is that custom guards get worn every night, and over-the-counter ones tend to end up in a drawer.
Reshaping tooth surfaces is irreversible, which is precisely why it is approached conservatively and only after reversible options have clarified the diagnosis. Adjustments are made in small increments and reassessed.
If your bite problem can be managed with an appliance alone, that is the preferred route.
Excessive occlusal force does not cause periodontal disease on its own — bacteria do that. But where periodontal disease is already present, heavy or misdirected force can accelerate the breakdown of the supporting bone.
This is why the bite is assessed as part of periodontal treatment here, not treated as a separate matter.
Related Treatment
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A permanent replacement for missing teeth, placed by a Penn-trained periodontist who does implant surgery every week.
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When deep pockets cannot be cleaned any other way, surgery makes them cleanable again.
Learn moreSchedule Your Consultation
Dr. Liu will evaluate your situation and explain your options — including the ones you may not have been offered elsewhere.