Use of mechanical devices for the intermaxillary registration in edentulous patients treated with implants

This article describes the use of three devices that replace the wax rims in the registration of the intermaxillary position and of the vertical dimension of occlusion in completely edentulous patients who have been treated with Brånemark implants. The devices consist of a mechanical "tooth" that can be adjusted in all three dimensions of space and of two plates that support the registration material. The mechanical tooth is connected to an abutment in the anterior region and a contact is established with a tooth in the opposite jaw at the vertical dimension in which the patient will be restored. This allows the operator to position the mandible in the centric relation in a condition of neuromuscular deprogramming and in the absence of posterior interferences. The two metal plates are then fixed to the posterior abutments, one on each side, and support the wax and zinc oxide eugenol paste used to register the intermaxillary position just established.