The Hidden Danger Behind That Smile: Cosmetic Dentistry in the Unstable Joint

Cosmetic dentistry often focuses on color, contour, and smile design, but what happens when those restorations are placed on a joint that isn’t stable?

This course exposes the risks of performing aesthetic treatment in patients with undiagnosed or unmanaged TMJ dysfunction. Participants will learn how to recognize subtle signs of joint instability, evaluate the functional health of the masticatory system, and modify cosmetic workflows to prevent long-term complications.

Through clinical protocols, case reviews, and joint-focused assessment tools, this course empowers dentists to protect both their aesthetic outcomes and their patients, by designing treatment plans that honour the joint, muscles, and occlusion behind the smile.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify clinical signs and symptoms of TMJ instability in cosmetic patients.

2. Perform a structured joint and muscle screening to assess functional risk before esthetic treatment.

3. Recognize how occlusal changes and anterior restorations can trigger or worsen joint dysfunction.

4. Modify cosmetic treatment plans to account for joint instability, including altering prep design, vertical dimension, or sequencing.

5. Apply functional testing protocols—such as deprogrammers, joint loading, and occlusal awareness exercises—to determine joint stability prior to restorative intervention.

6. Develop pre-treatment stabilization strategies, including orthotic therapy, in patients with TMJ-related symptoms or occlusal risk factors.