Benefits of the Elastic Bite Wafer

Title of Article:           Clinical Considerations of the Periodontium

Written by:                 Lawrence Furstman, D.D.S., MS, Ph.D.

                                     JCO, Volume 61, number 2,  Page 145.

  

“It has been observed over a period of 40 years that if a patient chewed hard food immediately following an appliance adjustment, subsequent pain and discomfort were kept to an absolute minimum.

  Thinking as to the causes of pain has been modified considerably: yet the relief of pain is still easily available by the simple expedient just mentioned. It now seems that while compression of fibers of the periodontal ligament on the tension side of the tooth can create pressure pain and ischemia, this alone is not enough to cause discomfort that we hear about. In addition, we develop an acute inflammatory process with an accompanying edema. It is postulated that a mucopolysaccharide type of cross linkage may be the method by which the individual fibers become bundles. It is further postulated that the edema probably softens the mucopolysaccharides and permits the fibers of the ligament to pull apart without tearing. The order of the events would be pressure, ischemia, inflammation, and edema. This inflammation and edema contribute greatly toward nerve impingement and follow the ischemia. Apparently, chewing something hard immediately following the appliance adjustment restores the normal vascular and lymphatic circulation, which prevents or relieves the inflammation and edema.”