What Materials and Reproducible Techniques May Be Used in Recording Centric Relation? Best Evidence Consensus Statement

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Best Evidence Consensus Statement was to evaluate the existing literature relative to two focus questions: What are the techniques used and their reproducibility in recording centric relation (CR) in a dentate and partially dentate population and what effect do different recording materials have on the reproducibility of CR?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Keywords used in the initial search were: CR, interocclusal records, CR accuracy, CR reproducibility, and CR technique. The search was then limited to Systematic Reviews, Randomized Controlled Studies, Meta-analyses, and Clinical Trials.

RESULTS

Initial search related to the selected search terms resulted in more than 3500 articles. When subsequent search was limited to Systematic Reviews, Randomized Controlled Studies, and Meta-Analysis and Clinical Trials, this resulted in 291 articles selected for further analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Techniques using chin point guidance, bimanual manipulation, power centric, Gothic arch tracing, leaf gauge, and anterior deprogramming devices to record CR can all be comparable in precision and clinical accuracy in regards to clinical relevance. Practitioner experience and familiarity with a particular technique is critical for accuracy when recording CR. Polyvinyl siloxane and polyether consistently performed better in the broad range of studies on recording materials. Virtual capture of CR could serve as a comparable recording medium but requires further clinical study.

Precision of jaw-closing movements for different jaw gaps

Jaw-closing movements are basic components of physiological motor actions precisely achieving intercuspation without significant interference. The main purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that, despite an imperfect intercuspal position, the precision of jaw-closing movements fluctuates within the range of physiological closing movements indispensable for meeting intercuspation without significant interference. For 35 healthy subjects, condylar and incisal point positions for fast and slow jaw-closing, interrupted at different jaw gaps by the use of frontal occlusal plateaus, were compared with uninterrupted physiological jaw closing, with identical jaw gaps, using a telemetric system for measuring jaw position. Examiner-guided centric relation served as a clinically relevant reference position. For jaw gaps ≤4 mm, no significant horizontal or vertical displacement differences were observed for the incisal or condylar points among physiological, fast, and slow jaw-closing. However, the jaw positions under these three closing conditions differed significantly from guided centric relation for nearly all experimental jaw gaps. The findings provide evidence of stringent neuromuscular control of jaw-closing movements in the vicinity of intercuspation. These results might be of clinical relevance to occlusal intervention with different objectives.