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.  He has many years' worth of videos of patients diagnosed with Meniere's disease, trigeminal neuralgia, and other debilitating TMD symptoms.  He has been publishing literature on the subject for more than a decade. 

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.  Since 1984, Dr. Kerstein has been a leading author & researcher in the field of Computerized Occlusal Analysis.

 

Cited literature indicated ~15% of candidates had maladapted or unstable TMJs.  DTR was considered less predictable if damage to the medial pole of the cartilaginous TM meniscus compromised reduction between condylar head and articular eminence.   

 

Instability found by joint vibration analysis merits MRI and CBCT as additional diagnostic aides in identifying patients who require 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, DMD). Dr. Yiannios is founder of the Center for Neural Occlusion which emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of orofacial pain and TMD.  

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Topics discussed include DTR BITE CALIBRATION vs. traditional bite "equilibration", limitations of analog methods, force outlier contacts in periodontal considerations such as PDL attachment loss and mobility, condylar positioning (CR, FSCP adapted & non-adapted), occlusomuscular dystonia, and the prevalence of iatrogenic malocclusion 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.

 

Sympathetic 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 as a diagnostic aid for patients with atypical pain profile 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 may be necessary if compounding symptoms stem from other causes in addition to the dental component.

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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 complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and sympathetic pain cases which are not candidates for DTR nor orthodontic treatment, instead needing referral for surgical intervention.

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, gamma knife surgery, 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 DTR diagnostics to at least see if non-invasive occlusal therapy might bring relief?  It can be a relatively simple treatment for such a devastating condition.  Gamma knife and MVD are still options even after DTR has been completed.  

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

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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.

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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.