Oct 16, 2015 - Dr. Ben Sutter portrays the treatment process known as DTR THERAPY, giving patient examples and a brief description of the software used by T-SCAN alongside EMG for measurement of malocclusion synchronized with muscle activity.  He describes DTR as a form of splintless TMD therapy which defines occlusion as one of the most influential concepts in all of dentistry.

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Dr. Sutter's youtube page has countless stories of patients who traveled to his Eugene, Oregon office seeking relief.  For more than a decade, he has been posting videos and publishing literature articles documenting diagnosis and occlusal treatment for patients diagnosed with Meniere's disease, trigeminal neuralgia, TMD, and more.

Jul 30, 2016 - Drs. Robert Kerstein and Mark Piper recount their respective experiences with measured occlusion and TMJ imaging concepts, finding common answers to the classic debate: 

"Are occlusion and TMD related?"  Both prefer MIP as a condylar position for restorative dentistry more often than not, especially in facilitating immediate complete anterior guidance development, which is an important concept in DTR THERAPY. 

 

Dr. Piper shares his perspective as a TMJ surgeon and how his philosophy evolved over the decades, describing his path as a paradigm shift.  He was for many years the oral surgeon affiliated with Dr. Pete Dawson, founder of the Dawson Academy in St. Petersburg, FL.

Nov 23, 2014 - Dr. Kerstein answers Dr. Nick Yiannios's FAQs of DTR THERAPY for occlusomuscular TMD patients.  Dr. Kerstein has been leading research and development in the field of Computerized Occlusal Analysis since 1984.

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Cited literature indicates ~15% of candidates had maladapted or unstable TMJs.  DTR SCREENING diagnostics are a priority because deranged or degenerated TMJs (i.e., perpetually malpositioned discs) cannot be repaired with occlusal therapy.

 

Instability found by joint vibration analysis merits CBCT imaging and sometimes MRI as additional diagnostic aides in identifying patients who require TMJ treatment beyond DTR (such as surgery).

Nov 23, 2015 - Dr. Yiannios and Dr. Tom Coleman are co-authors of literature in the Handbook of Research on Computerized Occlusal Analysis Technology Applications in Dental Medicine (Kerstein).  Dr. Yiannios is founder of the Center for Neural Occlusion which emphasizes the sympathetic component of orofacial pain and TMD.  

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They discuss limitations of analog methods, contrasting concepts of condylar positioning (FSCP adapted/non-adapted vs. 'CR'), DTR CALIBRATION vs. traditional 'equilibration', force outlier contacts in periodontal considerations such as PDL attachment loss and mobility, and iatrogenic malocclusomuscular hypertonia with disc displacement in chronic TMJ microtrauma.

Jul 25, 2016 - Drs. Piper and Yiannios weigh sympathetic influence on dental pain and TMD symptoms.  Dr. Piper describes the connection between malocclusion and trigeminal induction of stomatognathic muscle spasms.

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Sympathetic nerve fibers accompany the trigeminal nerve along its branches.  They manage muscle tone, dental sensation, and homeostatic mechanisms which also affect heart rate, peripheral vascular resistance, and cerebral vascular tone.  

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Dr. Piper explains his use of greater auricular nerve blocks for patients with unusual pain profiles which are unaccompanied by easily recognized signs and symptoms.

Apr 7, 2020 - Drs. Piper and Yiannios explore limitations in TMD treatment.  Although DTR THERAPY readily addresses malocclusion, an interdisciplinary approach becomes necessary if symptoms stem from other causes despite any observed malocclusion.

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Dr. Yiannios's youtube page has garnered worldwide attention.  He has hundreds of stories of patients who traveled to his Rogers, Arkansas office for treatment of their debilitating symptoms, including detailed clinical presentations of sympathetic pain cases such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).  These cases are not candidates for DTR THERAPY nor even orthodontic treatment, instead needing referral for surgical intervention.

Oct 22, 2025 - "Why is a general dentist treating something typically diagnosed by ear, nose, and throat physicians?"  Dr. Sutter profiles the nature and symptoms of Meniere's, highlighting its status as a diagnosis of exclusion based upon clinical presentation and briefly covering treatment options.  

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​He shares an example of a T-SCAN data set to conceptualize what a DTR dentist considers in framing an occlusomuscular diagnosis and treatment plan.

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The emotional toll of Meniere's is something most of us cannot imagine.  Social media support groups are full of stories and memes describing how debilitating this condition can be.

May 27, 2024 - Postgraduate textbooks commonly report ~90% of TN as idiopathic.  Once you've been diagnosed, your options heretofore have been limited to medication, rhizotomy (e.g., gamma knife), and/or microvascular decompression (MVD).

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As your own advocate, you have a choice about which path to take.  Medication seems like a reasonable first step but if your episodes persist, you're looking at targeted radiation and/or brain surgery.  Dr. Sutter asks:  Why not first consider a consultation with a DTR dentist to at least see if non-invasive occlusal therapy might be an option?  It can be a relatively simple treatment for such a devastating condition.  Rhizotomy and MVD are still options even after DTR THERAPY.  

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