Please feel free to contact us with your questions and, who knows, your queries could end up on this page to inform other students.

• What does the Tanner Appliance look like and what does it do?

The Tanner Appliance is an acrylic, full arch lower appliance which is meticiously adjusted in CRO and anterior guidance to maximize patient comfort.


• What was Henry Tanner's inspiration for developing his Appliance?

In the 1950s Dr. Tanner began his pursuit of better understanding of TM joint and muscle problems, at the request of Dr. Robert Ricketts. Dr. Ricketts, a pioneering orthodontist, was interested in radiographically positioning joint components in centric relation using Dr. Tanner�s appliance. Resulting from the early work, Dr. Tanner observed not only the TM joint assuming a more appropriate position, but that the muscles of mastication became more comfortable.

Even into the late 1970s, most restorative dentistry was accomplished without regard to how the mandible functioned at its end points of movement. Dr. Tanner introduced the concept of "Cross-Over" to dentistry and taught clinicians to fully understand the implications of appropriate centric stops, anterior guidance and Cross-Over with the use of a meticulously adjusted mandibular appliance.


• What will I know at the end of the Appliance Course?

You will be exposed to proper occlusion, muscle and joint function. During the course you will have built and properly adjusted a Tanner Appliance for yourself.


• When was the Tanner-Mahan Foundation...well,...founded and who are the founders?

The Tanner Mahan Foundation was formed about 10 years ago to carry on the educational objective of Henry Tanner and Parker Mahan. To date over 1500 dentists, technicians, and staff members have taken advantage of the education offerings of the Tanner Mahan Group.

By forming the foundation, a portion of the course registration monies fund annual scholarships to young dentists and technicians, who are interested in pursuing the study of occlusion (how teeth fit and what happens when they rub together). The founders are Bill Massey, Ron Presswood, Michael Kadair, Henry Gremillion, and Fred Cory.

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