Influence of TMJ health on mandibular motion and the restorative position: A case series

Articulator settings were compared between adapted-unstable and healthy-stable states in 5 patients with subclinical temporomandibular disorders. Leaf gauge load testing was used to identify muscle-related dysfunction, while mechanical pantography and computerized axiography recorded mandibular motion in both states. Following stabilization with occlusal device therapy, coincident centric relation recordings on a verification device confirmed the transition to a healthy state and revealed a shift in the reproducible centric relation position. Observed clinical trends indicated that mandibular movement and the restorative position differed once musculoskeletal health was established, suggesting that reconstructions initiated in an unstable system may target a pathologic position.