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How Dental Occlusion Controls Full Body Posture — Chan’s Dental Model Explained

Most healthcare providers treat the body in isolated regions — the dentist treats the mouth, the chiropractor treats the spine, the podiatrist treats the feet. Chan’s Dental Model challenges that compartmentalized thinking entirely. It demonstrates that mandibular position — the way the upper and lower teeth relate to one another — has a direct descending effect on cervical alignment, shoulder posture, pelvic rotation and foot alignment through proprioceptive signalling of the trigeminal nerve system. Get the occlusion right and the body follows. Leave it wrong and no amount of chiropractic, physical therapy or foot orthotics will fully correct what the bite keeps disrupting.

Postural body alignment and balance are a significant aspect of optimal occlusal balance.

Mandibular position along with the associated entities of the temporomandibular joints, all the muscles of the masticatory system (including the muscles of the cervical and shoulder regions) have an effect on the lower back, pelvis, legs and feet.

Unstable pelvis is an important and significant concern, so we pay attention to those mal alignment as well. We correlate these issues to the occlusion as to how the functional disabling occlusal premature contacting surfaces intra orally can contribute negatively to other parts of the body in a descending downward pattern causing an abnormal anterior rotation of the pelvis resulting in an inward roll of the feet from supination (normal foot alignment) to an abnormal foot alignment (pronation or flat feet).

Chan’s Dental Model: DESCENDING

This is the Chan Dental Model as has been recognized and acknowledged by Dr. Brian Rathbart (professor and renowned podiatrist) while working with Chan during the years 2010-2013.:  http://rothbartsfoot.es/Chans_Dental_Model.html

Proprioceptive Signalling – Where is it coming from?

The pattern of responses initially depends on whether the primary pain stimulus arises in the craniomandibular system (descending – CMD) or elsewhere (ascending – CMD).

In descending patterns of CMD the head tilts towards the site of the trauma by lateral flexion and rotation respectfully at the C1 (atlanto occipital) and C2 (atlanto-axial) joints of the upper cervical spine. Horizontal reflexes try to correct the visual tilt and occlusal planes by compensating contractions of ipsilateral lower neck, shoulder and contralateral upper back and ipsilateral lower back muscles, as well as those of the pelvis and leg muscles.

In brief, descending patterns arise from the stomatognathic or craniomandibular nociception where there is an observed divergence between the occlusal, pectoral, and pelvic planes with tendency toward a double scoliosis of the cervical and thoracic- lumbar spines.

In ascending patterns, the tilt of the axial skeleton follows the nociceptively upward flexed pelvis on the ipsilateral compensating contractions of the contralateral shoulder and neck which will attempt to horizontally correct the visual and hence the occlusal plane relative to the horizon.

Chronic flexion of the cranium and mandible to the contralateral side leads to an opposite or diverging orientation pattern that characterizes the ascending reflex pattern (the stimulus originating in the foot). The compression of the jaw joint and occlusal prematurity on the contralateral side are accompanied by subluxation of the ipsilateral joint and disclusion of the dentition. Single cervical scoliosis will develop with associated joint compression, subluxation, and associated pain. What we then see in chronic pain is a progressive painful postural stiffening and resultant abnormal postural pattern.