How and where a tooth contacts another tooth may result in

• Enamel wear and dentin exposure with resultant tooth sensitivity
• Cracks
• Tooth breakage
• Increased muscle activity or muscle pain.
• TMJ symptoms

Often, by improving where and how a tooth contacts, many of these symptoms can be avoided. “Equilibration” refers to selectively adjusting or polishing teeth to ensure they contact evenly (so forces are equalized), to optimize muscle activity, and to affect how the joint is loaded in the TMJ. By adjusting the contact points of these teeth, the prognosis of the teeth from wear, potential muscle pain and TMJ symptoms can all be improved.