The Istanbul Rumeli University School of Health Services, Dental Prosthetics Technology Program organized an applied training session titled "Occlusal Morphology & Occlusal Compass," conducted by Cdt. Gültekin GÜLESTAN, founder and owner of Masterdent Laboratory, to enhance the professional development of students.
The success of aesthetic and prosthetic restorations is crucial for patient satisfaction, and these topics were addressed during the training. Parameters determining aesthetic perception in dentistry were discussed, and various techniques to achieve the most natural appearance were imparted to the students. The instructor, Cdt. Gültekin GÜLESTAN, aimed to enhance students' aesthetic perspectives through case series illustrating aesthetic principles.
The "Occlusal Compass Theory (N.A.T. Concept)" developed by the German Master Technician Michael Heinz Polz in the 1980s, which organizes existing occlusion theories in a more straightforward and systematic manner, was explained to students using specially prepared study models for practical application. With the occlusal compass, directions in which teeth move relative to each other in the horizontal plane were determined. Colored modeling waxes representing movement directions were used with the nature-compliant waxing-up technique.
The NAT (nature-compliant waxing-up technique)/NFR (natural functional restoration) occlusion, where the structural morphology of teeth turns into functional morphology as they wear, is the most preferred method for clinical application. During the training, the analysis of the relationship between NAT/NFR occlusion by approaching the occlusion concept more easily and morphologically, overcoming the limitations of existing occlusion theories, and developing NAT/NFR occlusion that can be functionally applied in clinical practice, emphasized the achievement of a dynamic occlusion that adapts to each individual's chewing system and teeth in the oral cavity, allowing for a realistic occlusion that can be applied in the clinic.
At the end of the training, Cdt. Gültekin GÜLESTAN performed porcelain buildup on a metal framework prepared for the upper first molar tooth using G-Ceram porcelain powder within the occlusal compass concept. We extend our gratitude to the instructor for evaluating students' work directly, pointing out errors, and sharing the key points to achieve the correct results.
