While many dental patients will likely never hear the word, dental professionals often consider “occlusion” during the scope of their work. That’s because occlusion refers to the alignment of teeth and the manner in which the upper and lower teeth come together, factors that can significantly affect oral health.

No one’s breath smells minty clean all the time, and everyone gets a touch of bad breath on occasion, whether a case of “morning breath,” “garlic breath,” “stale breath” or some other breath malodor. Such cases are generally resolved with time and a bit of oral care through brushing, flossing and mouthwash. Unfortunately, some cases of bad breath can become chronic, which may require more robust measures for effective treatment. While occasional bad breath and its more chronic form—commonly referred to as “halitosis”—may strike most as a rather modest affliction, more than 140 scientists and clinicians from around the world have been researching causes and cures since 1993. The International Society for Breath Odor Research (ISBOR) has held nine international conferences and collectively published numerous studies on halitosis.

If not for the temporomandibular joint, more commonly referred to as the “TMJ,” you would not be able to speak, laugh, yawn, or chew food effectively. The joint consists of interconnected muscles, ligaments, and discs that connect the upper and lower jaw bones and allows you to move them from side to side, up and down, and forward and backward. As a crucial component of a workable mouth and overall oral health, dentists generally check its function during the course of an oral examination.