centric relation C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 8 , Nº 5/6
Reproducibility and Variability of Centric Relation Point in Completely Edentulous Patients Sushil Kumar Kar, MDS; Arvind Tripathi, MDS; and Praveen Rai, BDS
a b s t r a c t The purpose of the study was to evaluate the reproducibility and
deviation from the centric relation point with time in completely edentulous patients.
AUTHORS Sushil Kumar Kar, MDS, is a professor in the department of prosthodontics at Saraswati Dental College and Hospital in Lucknow, India. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported. Arvind Tripathi, MDS, is a professor and head of the department of prosthodontics at Saraswati Dental College and Hospital in Lucknow, India. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported. Praveen Rai, BDS, is a junior resident in the department of prosthodontics at Saraswati Dental College and Hospital in Lucknow, India. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
P
roviding harmony between the occlusion and the condylar paths has a significant role for edentulous patients to restore oral function, preserve the stomatognathic system and prevent oral diseases and has a great influence on mandibular movements.1–3 Factors that govern the condylar paths are mainly bony fossae, muscle tone, attached ligaments, shape and movements of the menisci and anterior guidance.4–11 Among the methods that have been performed to establish a stable maxillomandibular relationship, gothic arch tracing has been broadly accepted clinically for determining the horizontal mandibular position of an edentulous jaw. The gothic arch (needle point) tracing is not only effective to record maxillomandibular relationships in completely edentulous patients but is helpful during the diagnosis and treatment of restorative problems. The main aim of the tracing needle is to record the 3D movement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) onto a 2D flat plate on a certain level.12 Most of the patients could not reproduce the centric point due to long-term edentulism, uncontrolled muscle movement and some symptoms of temporomandibular
disorder.13 The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reproducibility of centric point and changes in vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) at different intervals in completely edentulous patients.
Material and Methods
The study was conducted on 60 completely edentulous subjects (male and female) aged 45 to 70 from our outpatient department. All subjects were informed in detail about the nature of the study and a written consent was obtained. Ethical clearance was obtained from the ethical committee of our institution before starting the study. For better standardization of all the study subjects and to avoid bias in the study, the inclusion criteria applied were edentulous subjects with healthy residual ridges showing Angle’s class I ridge relations, a period of edentulism of more than one year and no preprosthetic surgery. The exclusion criteria were history of any craniofacial surgery or trauma, signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders, facial asymmetries, history of uncontrolled systemic disorders, poor neuromuscular control, highly resorbed ridges, previous denture wearers and poor mental attitude. M AY/JUNE 2 0 2 0 277
