Articulator-related registration--a simple concept for minimizing eccentric occlusal errors in the articulator.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop an easy-to-use procedure for individual registration and to test its accuracy. Unlike common principles, the method should be based on a transfer of the articulator geometry to the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS The system consists of an articulator holding a bite plate in a standard position. The bite plate connects to an electronic recording system, which transfers the articulator's condylar points virtually to the patient's mandible by a centric relation record. The trajectories of the transferred points are recorded during mandibular protrusions and laterotrusions. From the trajectories, sagittal condylar and Bennett angles are measured and are adjusted at the articulator after mounting of the casts via the bite plate. Using a mechanical testing device, the accuracy of the measured angles was examined by comparison with preset values varying from 10 to 60 degrees (condylar angle) and from 0 to 40 degrees (Bennett angle) in 10-degree increments. RESULTS The mean deviations of measured condylar angles from preset values ranged between 1.5 and 0 degrees. The mean deviations of the Bennett angles ranged from -0.5 to -1.3 degrees. CONCLUSION The transfer of articulator geometry to the patient reduces the number of individual parameters necessary to imitate jaw motion to the condylar and Bennett angles. This leads to a significant simplification in registration and cast transfer. Since the required parameters are recorded with high accuracy, the method could be an alternative to traditional sophisticated instrumental registration.