by Dr Rachael Pantin, The New Dentist, Applecross, WA
by Dr Rachael Pantin, The New Dentist, Applecross, WAMy father, Dr Christopher Pantin, is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia where he developed a graduate diploma in Dental Sleep Medicine. Our practice deals with a lot of sleep apnoea problems and I find it an enjoyable part of dentistry. The George gauge is an essential part of addressing those problems.
What’s good about it
The George gauge is used in the fabrication of mandibular advancement devices to help reduce snoring and sleep apnoea. It measures the protrusive range of the mandible, as well as taking the bite registration at the same time.
There is a forked attachment that the patient bites and by moving the mandible forwards and backwards, you can measure the protrusive range. It is very accurate even though it doesn’t need to be too specific because it’s measuring a range rather than a precise figure.
Using the George gauge is absolutely painless so there are never any issues with patients. It’s a very straightforward, simple tool that does its job extremely well which is probably why it hasn’t been modernised.
What’s not so good
The maxillary centrals sit in a little notch on the George gauge fork. Sometimes, depending on a person’s anatomy and malocclusion, they don’t seat perfectly. This can be rectified chair-side with some adjustment. The fork portion is disposable but the lower incisor guide plane is reusable with a limited lifespan. It also can’t be autoclaved so needs to be cold sterilised.
