Accuracy of check-bite registration and centric condylar position

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Dental Materials Science
• Occlusion

Background:

• Accurate jaw relation recording is vital for comprehensive dental restorative treatment.
• Establishing the centric condylar position is a key aspect of occlusal analysis.
• No definitive consensus exists on the optimal method for centric condylar position registration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the accuracy of various centric condylar position registration methods.
• To evaluate the influence of different materials on registration accuracy.
• To compare the precision of different techniques in determining jaw relation.

Main Methods:

• Eight-one fully dentate volunteers had impressions taken.
• Casts were mounted on articulators using face-bow transfer and central-bearing-point (CBP) registration.
• Six different methods and materials were used to determine centric condylar position twice per patient, with measurements taken via a computer-aided articulator.

Main Results:

• Unrefined wax wafer registration demonstrated the highest accuracy (mean 0.33 mm).
• Acrylic wafers showed the lowest accuracy (mean 0.44 mm).
• Central-bearing-point (CBP), frontal jig, tin-foil, and refined wax wafers yielded intermediate accuracy. Differences between methods were not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• While unrefined wax wafers were most accurate, all tested methods showed limitations compared to natural tactile sensitivity.
• Significant mandibular displacement (up to 2.0 mm) was observed between registrations.
• Small occlusal adjustments are likely unavoidable in fixed prosthetic restorations due to registration inaccuracies.