"Throughout 15+ years of practice, I've encountered a recurring frustration when dealing with dental complications. Ask any dentist and they'll tell you: occlusion has long been an elusive bane. Even minor changes to your occlusion can have troublesome repercussions if they're beyond the adaptive capacity of your stomatognathic anatomy.
Frictional malocclusion brings symptoms like cold sensitivity, grinding, clenching, dislodged fillings, chipped crowns, broken teeth, and loose implants. After routine dental procedures we check and adjust your bite but we're limited to subjective feedback from both patient AND doctor unless we have the ability to measure malocclusion.
When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, you'll spend as much on your smile as you would on a luxury vehicle or kitchen renovation. The end result should not only LOOK great, it should also FUNCTION well. Occlusion takes center stage when considering the balance, harmony, and function of your bite, muscles, and TMJs.
After I got my veneers, I was instructed to wear a night guard. And after braces, there was a retainer. What do they have in common? They're both a piece of plastic worn over teeth, just like a TMD orthotic. If you've ever wondered how a TMD orthotic differs from a night guard or retainer, the answer has to do with INTENT and PURPOSE. But it's not unreasonable for patients to be confused because they sure do seem the same unless you understand the complexities of occlusion.
During my training in "full-mouth reconstructions", my primary concern was disrupting the bite and how that might adversely affect the TMJs. So I vowed to learn as much as I could about occlusion. My path took me through a post-grad continuum where the instructors were using a bite-force sensor called T-SCAN. Upon completion of the Clinical Mastery Series (c.2016-17), I decided to add it as an adjunct to document the final finished bite for full-mouth cosmetic treatments.
T-SCAN has a steep learning curve. It seemed simple at first but I wanted to learn more about it. After further training merited DTR certification (c.2018), occlusion revealed itself to be inseparable from the world of TMD. Ironically and despite my reluctance to position myself as a 'TMJ dentist', my path led from cosmetics to occlusion and its inevitable end, TMD.
From this standpoint, I look forward to each and every opportunity to help patients through the treatment process known as DTR therapy, which begins and ends with objective measurements and can bring life-changing relief from TMD symptoms via conservative dental treatment. Likewise, by the very nature of occlusion, to deliver beautiful cosmetic results in balance and harmony with orofacial muscle function and temporomandibular joint health."
A native Houstonian and second-generation dentist, Dr. Harden earned his D.D.S. degree in the Houston Medical Center from the University of Texas Dental School, class of 2008. He's proud to serve the neighborhoods of West University, the Museum District, Bellaire, Upper Kirby, River Oaks, Tanglewood, Memorial, and beyond.
Prior to dental school he was an all-American swimmer and Division I water polo player at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles) while earning his bachelor's degree in biochemistry.
Dr. Harden lives in the Memorial area with his wife Elizabeth, an interior designer.
