Occlusal consequence of using average condylar guidance settings: An in vitro study

Area of Science:

• Dental Articulation and Occlusion
• Biomechanical Analysis of Dental Structures

Background:

• Simplified dental mounting techniques often use average condylar guidance settings.
• The discrepancy between average and individual condylar guidance settings and its occlusal implications require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential occlusal errors introduced by utilizing average condylar guidance settings during nonworking side movements in dental articulators.
• To quantify the occlusal error resulting from deviations between average and individual condylar guidance parameters.

Main Methods:

• Three-dimensional positions of the maxillary first molar on the nonworking side were recorded using a laser displacement sensor.
• Vertical occlusal error was calculated as the positional difference between average and individual condylar guidance traces.
• Multiple regression analysis assessed the contributions of condylar and incisal guidance to molar positioning.

Main Results:

• Shifting from individual to average condylar guidance settings resulted in positional discrepancies of the maxillary first molar.
• Vertical occlusal errors, potentially leading to occlusal interference, ranged from -2964 to 1711 μm.
• Incisal guidance (partial regression coefficient 0.882) demonstrated a greater influence on molar position than condylar guidance (0.431).

Conclusions:

• Adopting average condylar guidance settings in dental articulators can lead to significant potential occlusal errors.
• The occlusal influence of incisal guidance is approximately double that of condylar guidance in the analyzed articulator movements.