[Comparative clinical study of 3 technics of functional analysis of occlusion]

The object of our research is to compare clinically and objectively three articulators: -- the Dentatus, semiadjustable articulator which employs dynamico-static records -- the T.M.J., fully adjustable articulator which employs dynamico-cinematic stereographic endobuccal records -- the Denar, fully adjustable articulator which employs dynamico-cinematic pantographic extrabuccal records. We expressly avoided repeating the mechanical and mathematical analysis of the possibilities and limitations of the articulator and copying the previous researches which always imply quasi-perfection in the behaviour of the patient, in the manipulations of the dental surgeon and in the physical qualities of the articulator and materials used. Our comparative research claims to respect all the variables which occur in the carrying out of an actual case and which are inherent in the patient, the dental surgeon, the articulator and the materials used. In carrying out our research we followed two essential conditions: -- We decided to follow, first of all, a strictly clinical plan using successively the three articulators in the analysis of the occlusal function (carried out twice) for each of the six patients and comparing the results obtained for each articulator and for each patient. -- We decided, next, that this comparative research should be strictly objective. To this end, we did not set out to form an opinion, on the basis of clinical impressions, favourable or unfavourable to the different characteristics of the three articulators. We limited ourselves, on the contrary, to measuring, superposing and making a comparative analysis of the results obtained with the three articulators for the same analysis of the occlusal function.