Why GNM Dentists Uses Lower Orthotics

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Clayton Chan Patient Ed3

The reason why GNM advocates a lower orthopedic removable appliance (orthotic device) is because:

  1. It is designed based on objective K7 jaw tracking, EMG and J5 TENS technology that measures jaw position, function and quality of resting status of musculature.  The mandibular position is not randomly guessed as most “splints”.
  2. Most of the time the lower mandible is the problem, not so much the top,
  3. The lower mandible is the part of the jaw the moves and it often has the deficient vertical dimension and also deficient antero-posterior positioning problem,
  4. The mandible is the part that is attached to the condyles and the condyles are often the parts of the joints that has the dysfunction and derangement problems,
  5. Lower orthotics don’t get in the way of the tongue when the orthotic is designed correctly, so it is easier for speaking, maxillary/upper splints get in the way of speaking,
  6. Lower orthotics don’t cross and tie up midline sutures,
  7. A lower GNM orthotic better assists in supporting a more physiologic jaw, head and neck postural position, and
  8. It makes it much easier with transitioning the bite from phase 1 (stable) to a phases 2 finishing orthopedic/ orthodontic stage of treatment.These are just some of the reason why GNM prefers to place the orthotic on the lower arch vs. the upper arch.